, 1892-05-23

!
$4,000, With Small Insurance.
List of the Losers.
CHEHALIs, May 23.-The most disastrous
fire that has ever visited this city occurred
yesterday morning about O'Clock, and
now smouldering heaps, where a few hours
ago were slightly structures, bear witness
to the completeness of its work. Not two
months have elapsed since Chehalis was
visited by its first great fire. At that time a
block of business buildings was destroyed.
ominus murmurings have since been heard
among the people, and it has been hinted
that the fire was incendiary, as was this of
today.
The fire yesterday morning started on the
upper floor of the vacant building on Main
street, belonging to George Gregg, which
several weeks past has been easy of access.
and which had on that account become a
nest of tramps, loafers and drunks. The
fire department and the citizens who vol
unteered their assistance made magnificent
efforts to save the adjacent buildings, but
with the miserable facilities at hand they
were compelled to become pOwerless spec
V. ne
chemical engine, the only protection
against fire in the city, was charged and
dlrcharged as rapidly as possible but it
availed nothing. The fire spread as
though endowed with wings. A strong
north wind was blowing and the block on
the opposite side of the street, together
with the buildings below, were enveloped
within twenty minutes. Four blocks of
wooden buildings were in the midst of a
sea OF flame within forty minutes after the
alarm was sounded To the south it caught
Mrs. Barrett's residence and to the west
the livery barn of E. McClintic. Sofierce was
lhe heat from the flames that the fire made
its way back against the wind, taking Rein
hart's store, Noftsger's store and dwell
ing, the Long building and the store build
ing of John Mairs. At the Odd Fellows
hall and the courthouse, protected by in
tervening vacant spaces and North street,
its progress was stopped. The iron roof of
the Long building which smOthered the
fire below when it fell, saved the court
house and Odd Fellows hall.
At this juncture the Centralia steamer
arrived, after a delay of nearly an hour and
half. The boys from above, as they
raced down from the train, were greeted
with prolonged cheers, but they had come
too late to render assistance. The fire was
burned out.
The losses are as follows:
Mrs. O.. R. Van Aelstyn, millinery and
residenc; loss, $500.
N. Yoder, law office; loss, 5000.
Thomas Main, tailor shop loss, S4OO;
insurance, $500.
A. S: Moss, two-story buildings; loss,
$500; insurance, $1,000.
Clark q Clark, lunch counter; loss, S4OO.
Long Bros, general merchandise; loss,
Estate Of w. H. Long, store building:
loss, $500; insurance, $1,000.
Q. f. KlOh, household goods; loss, $3.50,
w. A. Press, saloon; loss, $1,000; insur-
ance, S110O.
W, A. Press, two store buildings; loss,
$4,000; insurance, $780,
Brockway Bros, dry goods loss, $4500;
store building; loss. $22oO; insurance,
M. Rinehart, general merchandise; loss.
$500; insurance, $4,000.
N. Gagnon, saloon and two stores; loss
$2500; insurance, $1000
]. D. Rice, general merchandise; loss,
$4,000; insurance, $4,000.
J. S. Mitchell, hotel; loss, $4,000; insur-
ance, $1,000.
Mrs. NJ. L. Noftsger, grocery store and
residence loss, $1,000; insurance, $500.
e. M. McClintic, livery stable and house,
hold goods; loss, $500; insurance, $3.50.
A. Hylander, groceries and meat market
loss, $500; insurance, $500.
FRANK Miller, Two stores; loss, SZ200; in
surance, $500.
Frank Miller, residence and household
goods; loss, $1,000; insurance, $500,
P. Gustavson, blacksmith shop and resi-
dence; loss, $1,000.
D. w. Mcmillan, notion store; loss, $500.
d. W. Mcmillan, residence and house
hold goods; loss, S759.
John Haller jewelry store; loss, $1,000;
insurance, $500.
Northern Pacific Railroad company, cars
burned; loss, $500.
George Gregg, three small dwellings and
two stores; loss, $500.
$500.
Eliza Barrett, residence and household
furnishings; loss, $2700.
M. Heroux, two store buildings loss,
S12OO
Besides the losses enumerated above the
city suffers heavy loss to the electric
wires and fixtures that had been put in.
The Postal-Telegraph wires were also
burned down, but have been repaired.
Chehalis citizens are grateful to Cen
tralia for the aid given. 1t might have
been worse, and in any event it will surely
hasten the putting in of the long promised
system Of water works.