The Redwood gazette., 1893-11-09
| INCE|NDIARIsMl n !
The vanDusen Elevator and Con-
tents Go Up In Smoke.
Over $16, 900 Worth of Property
Destroyed by InCendiarism.
The Flames Fed by an Early Morn
ing Western Breeze.
Elevator Completely Engulfed With
Flames Ere an Alarm was Given.

months the ". w. VanDuSen elevator,
located on the right-of-way of the Chi
cago u Northwestern railroad, was de-
stroyed by fire at an early hour last
Sunday morning. The destruction
was almost total. With it there was
consumed Chicago & Northwestern
freight car, valued at $500, 700 bush
els OF No. | wheat in the car, nearly
15,O 600 bushels of No. wheat in the
elevator, 1900 bushels of flax, 1000
bushels Of oats, 100 tons of hard coal,
and $50 tons of soft coal, making the
total logs in dollars aud cents, with
but little salvage, in the neighborhood
of $1,000.
The alarm of fire was first given
shortly after two o'clock, and whether
the alarm bell is no good, or whether
we are heavy sIeepers, there were very
few people that we're awakened, Those
who were that fortunate ran to the
hose houses, and pulled the carts to
the scene of the fire. But the only
avenue for work was to save the sur
rounding property ,and one or two bins
of the coal, for the elevator was en-
quilted ID flames, an active volcano
belching forth in continual streams
huge flames of fire and smoke from
the interior and the exterior feeding
flames from a sides. The coal sheds
were practically consumed. Before q
stream Of water was turned on to any
part Of the elevator or the annex, the
fire had eaten out the support under
the bins, and the wheat commenced
falling out. Three of these bins, after
the fire had devoured practically all
Of the support under them, fell in
masses, bursting after striking the
burning wheat underneath ,and spread
ing the grain all over the adjacent
right-of-way. As the last one the
southerly one, fell, the flames that had
been keeping, up continual roar for
a half hour previous, we're temporarily
smothered, sending up vast clouds of
smoke, sparks and cinders, that,were
picked up by the western wind, and
carried on over the stock yards and
the Northwestern engine house. But
by work of the section hands, the fire.
mon and others, these buildings we're
saved from the flames.
With the falling of the last bin the
flames had completed their mischief,
practically. The fall had assisted in
subduing them, and stream OF water
was poured upon the timbers with the
partly successful idea of securing some
salvage. But all of the grain was in
jured by the smoke, and what was not
injured by water cannot be used for
breadstuffs. On the coal in the bins
there was probably three-quarter
salvage, the firemen being successful
in extinguishing the flames before they
had much headway on the coal. What
it is injured more than one quarter is
by heat and water. The Northwest
ern car destroyed was standing along
side the elevator, had been filled late
Saturday afternoon, and was ready to
move out Monday.
! Incendiarism is the only theory of
the origin. There was no fire in the
elevator after five o'clock. A gasoline
engine is used for propelling purpos-
es, and when it stops the gasoline flash
expires. The flames were started by
human hands under the drive way al
most exactly between the elevator and
the attached coal sheds, either for re-
Highest of all in Leavening Po,