The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-09-27
A DISASTROUS FIRE.
Portland, Ore., Visited by a Big
 Conhagration.
ELEVATOR AND DOCK DESTROYED.
Coal Bunkers Burned-ualf a Million Bush- els of Wheat and an Expensive Elec- tric Light Plant, Resides goo
 Cars, Consumed.

PORTLAND, Ore, Sept. 24.-The most disastrous fire in the history of this city broke out at 4:3O o'clock yesterday afternoon in the dock of the Pacific Coast Elevator Co.,, and ragged for three hours, destroying property valued at nearly Sl,500,000. All day long heavy wind was blowing and nine alarms had been turned in. The fire department was scattered about the city, looking after the small fires when the alarm from the elevator was rung in. The scene of the fire is in Lower AL pima, across the river from the main part of the city, and it was at least fifteen minutes before more than one engine could respond to the general call. When the engines arrived the fire was beyond control and in half an hour from the time the fire started the docks for half mile were on fire. Nothing could be done but let the fire burn itself out.
 The fire started in the dock below the Pacific Coast Elevator Co.'S main building and the wind soon drove the flames to tho elevator itself. The flames shot into the air 200 feet, mak- ing beautiful sight in the twilight. The coal bunkers of the North Pacific Terminal Co. on the west were next at tackled and soon were mass of flames. On the east was the Oregon Railway X Navigation Co.'s wharf, 400 feet in length, and this, too, was soon on fire. There were no means of getting water on the fire except from the river, and the ireboat is an improvised old scow and of very little service.
 The elevator contained nearly 800, ,O00 bushels of wheat. The new plant of the Portland General Electric Co.,, which had just arrived from Lynn, Mass, was standing in the yards of the Terminal Co. on the cars, not yet having been unloaded. The plant oc- cupied an entire train, and the ma chinery was of the most expensive kind, the most of which was destroyed and the remainder badly damaged. Two hundred freight cars, eighty of which were loaded, were destroyed. On the Oregon Railway and Naviga- IlOH NO. uOchS Illerc were l,OUO UOus of freight consisting of wool, salmon. general merchandise and cement, all of which was destroyed with the dock. There were stored on the dock about l2, 900 cases of salmon from the lower Columbia river and Puget sound, await ing shipment for the east. It was val. ued at about S4O,0OO and was partially insured.
 Every available locomotive at the terminal works was set to work nov ing freight cars out of danger, but the fire burned so rapidly that all could not be moved away. Sparks from the fire went across the river and set on fire the boneyard, but the fire was ex. tinguished before any serious damage to the yard was done. The large steamboat, Willamette Chief, moored at the yard, took fire and was burned. She was used as tow boat and was valued at about S45, ,O00.
 Three men are supposed to have per ished in the elevator. Charles Ander. son, man named Brown and one named Murray were seen at an upper story window of the elevator, and ii is thought they were all burned.