The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-09-26
DISASTROUS FLAMES
Destroy Railroad and Other Prop
erty in Portland,
LOSS A MILLION AND A HALF
Inc Most Disast rous Fire In the Historv
Of the City-Thre Lives Lost and .
Half Mile Of Docks ON Fire,

| PORTLAND. DE-. Sept 23.-The most
disastrous fire in the history Of this city
broke out at 4:3O this afternoon In the
dock of the Pacific Coast Elevator
Company and ragged for three hours,
destroying property valued at nearly
1850. 900 AL day long a heavy wind
has been blowing, and nine alarms
were turned in. The fire department
was scattered about the city, looking
after small fires, when the alarm from
the elevator was runR In. The scene
OF the fire is lower Alblna, across the
river from the main part of the city,
and 1t was at least Is minutes before
more than one engine could respond to
the general alarm.
Half q Mile Of Docks ON Fire.
When the engines arrived the fire
was beyond control, and in half an
hour from the time 1t started the docks
for half mile were on fire. Nothing
could be done but to let the fire burn
itself ont. The fire started In the dock
below the Pacific Coast Elevator Com.
pany's main building, and the wind
soon drove the flames to the elevator
ITSELF The flames shot into the air 200
feet. The coal bunkers of the North
Pacific Terminal Compan on the west
were next attacked and soon were
seething mass of flames. On the east
was the Oregon Railroad & Navigation
Company's wharf, 400 feet in length,
and this. too, was soon on fire.
There was no means of getting water
on the fire except from the river, and
the tireboat is an iinprovised old scow
and of little service. The elevator con.
tained nearly half q million bushels Of
wheat. The new plant of the Portland
General Electric Company, which had
just arrived from Lynn, Mess, was
standing in the yards of the terminal
company on cars. not yet having been
unl9aded. The plant occupied an en-
tire train, and the machinery was of
the most expensive kind. The most of
it was destroyed and the remainder
was badly damaged. Two hundred
freight cars. 80 Of which were loaded
with wheat. were destroyed. In the Or
egon Railway & Navigation Company
dock there were hundreds of tons of
freight. consisting of wool, salmon,
general merchandise and cement, ali
of which was destroyed with the dock.
There was stored on the dock about
IL 600 cases of salmon from the lower
Columbia river and Puget sound,
awaiting shipment to the east. It was
valued at about $4,000 and was par
TALLY insured.
Every available locomotive at the
Terminal works was set to moving
freight cars out of danger, but the fire
burned SO rapidly that all could not be
moved away.
Three Lives Lost.
The sparks went across the river and
set on fire the boneyard, but the fire
was extinguished before any serious
damage to the yard was done. The
large steamboat Willamette Chief,
at the yard, took fire and
She was valued at 81, 900.
Three men are supposed to have per-
shed in the elevator. Charles Auder-
son, y man named Brown and one
named Murray were seen at the upper
story window Of the elevator. and 1t 10
thought they were all burned.
The Lossss.
The losses, az near ~ can be ascsr.
Eained at this time are: North Pa
,ific Elevator Company, $500. 900;
Portland General Electric Company,
$50, 900; coal bunkers of
the North Pacific Terminal Com
pany, $4,000; Oregon Railway and
Company, one dock, freight
cars and the steamer Willamette Chief,
ESQ, 900; merchandise on the docks,
600. 600. The insurance carried will
reach more than $500, 600. The Liver
pool and London & Globe Insurance
has large share Of thiA