The record-union., 1893-05-26
Miss Alice Irish'S Terrible Death in
a Burning Hotel
VAS IT THE WORK OF A FIEND ?
Suspicious Conduct Of the Hotel Cook, who
Had Threatened the Dtceased----IIis
Arrest in This City
Yesterday.

For the second time within eight years
the town of Rocklin, Placer County, on
the line OF the Central Pacific Railroad
has been nearly wiped out by fire. The
former conflagration left but one or two
buildings in the place, while the one that
occurred yesterday morning wiped out
the north half Of the town, including the
chief business portion, and burned to
death young woman named Miss Alice
Irish, formerly Of Georgetown, FL Do
RADIO County, who was employed as wait
ress in the dining-room of the Davies
Hotel.
The fire started in the Davies Hotel
about o'clock in the morning, but from
what cause is not known. The hotel was
a two-story frame structure. and joining
the railroad round-house, and contained
about thirty rooms, nearly all of which
were occupied by railroad employees and
men employed in the granite quarries.
All the inmates of the hotel managed
to make their escape from the burning
building. except Miss Irish, who was
suflocated and perished i'll the flames
while making an effort to save her trunk.
The Davies Hotel was complete loss.
1t was the only frame dwelling that es-
capped the fire of eight years ago. The
loss on the building was about $1,000,
and on the furniture $1,000.
Close by the hotel, with only an alley
way dividing them, was LeVison Bros.
fine stone building, occupied by them as
general merchandise store. This build
ing was supposed to be absolutely fire.
proof, and doubtless would have been
but for one solitary window on the side
opposite the hotel.
Through this window the flames,
l.r-fal n a
entrance to the building and completely
gutted it, the loss being about $1,000.
The prOprietors, deeming their property
practically safe from fire, carried only
about 81 600 insurance, which will about
place the building in proper shape again.
From this on the fire had everything its
own way on the north side of the town.
The only tire-saVing apparatus in the
town is that maintained by the railroad
company, but it was rendered almost use
less from the fact that the tiremen could
not remain in the face Of the fierce flames,
which the strong wind drove toward the
track from which the locomotive fire.
engine had to operate.
The fire lasted only about an hour and
a halt, but in that short time did great
destruction to the little town. In addi-
ton to the property already mentioned
the following losses occurred:
Burchard's Hotel-Loss, $4,000; insur-
ance, s., 600.
Dewitt Porter's livery stable and saloon
The horses and some vehicles saved;
loss, 5000, insurance, 81, 800.
Mulleneux's building and saloon-Loss,
5000.
Clark's saloon-Loss, $1,000; some oil
the stock saved.
Dan Hart's saloon-LOss, 81, 500.
Louis Jodoin's barber shop, and dwell
ing above, just Complications s., $50;
insured for $1,000.
J. DeSanno's saloon-Total loss. s, 500.
c. Roble's butcher shop and dwelling
Loss, 81, 900.
John Clydesdale's dwelling and office
Loss, $500.
Mrs Smeder's cottage-Loss, $500.
Mulleneux's dwelling, g,two-story-Loss
$1,000.
Mrs. Van Trees boarding-house-L Loss,
$3.50.
}. Lonergan, dwelling destroyed.
Cooks dwelling and cOnfectioner store
Loss, 500.
CLOVIS blacksmith shop-Loss, 81, 600
Peter Ertie. wOodworker-Loss, $500.
Mrs. Philbrick's dwelling-Loss, $500.
Dobbas 4 Lovejoy's meat market, and
Mamie Lonergan's candy store.
The figures given above are believed 10
be approximately correct, but owing to the
eNcitment that prevailed after the fire it
was almost impossible to obtain very
definite information. Captain Z. L.
Hawk, the real estate agent arrived on
the scene about 5 O'Clock on the way from
his vineyard to this city, and from him
the above particulars were learned.
The reason there was so little insurance
on the burned property is that the rates
are almost prohibitive, owing to the
character of the buildings in the town.
nearly all being OF wood.
The town of Rockhn was recently in
corporated, and Captain Hawk advised
the people yesterday &c pass an ordinance
prescri bing fire limits within which no
frame buildings can be erected Being
the center OF the great granite industry OF
the State, it would seem that the prop
erty-owners ought to have their town
built almost exclusively of stone.