The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-24
treat Wheat Elevator and Sur.
rounding Property Gone.
Loss A MILLION AND A aals
Nharyes. Machinery, Trains of Carr
and Steamboat Destroyed.
Portland. With Its Miles Of Water
Front. Has No Destruction
Of the Elevator VIII Caase Wheat
Go Be shipped From the sound.

PORTLAND. Sept s2-The most di....
tfoas nse IN the history Of this city broke
oat al I 80 O'clock this afternoon in ths
dock of ths Pacific Coast Elevator Com
rany and ragged for three hours, DESTROY
ing property valued at nearly 81. 500 o,sA
All dag long heavy wind had been blow
ing. and nine alarms had been turned i'm.
The ire department. was scattered ahous
the city. looking after the small fires.
when the sIarm from the elevator was
rung in. The scene OF the fire is In
lower Alblna. across the river from
the main part of the city. and 10
was at least fifteen minutes before
more than one engine could respond
20 the general alarm. When the engines
arrived the fire was beyond control.
and in half an honr from the time the ire
started the docks for half g mile were on
TIRE. Nothing could be done but let ths
fire burn itself out. The ire started in the
dock below the Pacific Coast Elevator
Conpany's main building. and the wind
soon drove the DANES TO the elevator it,
SELF. The flames shot into the air Ao feet.
making a beautiful sight in the twilight.
The coal hunkers of the North Pacific
Termina>~~ompany on the west were NEXT
attacked. aud soon was a seething mass OF
flames. On the east was the Oregon Rail-
way & Navigation Company's wharf. 400
feet In length. and this, too, was soon on
hre. There was no means Of getting
water on the fire except from the river.
and the freboat is an improvised old scow
and of very little service. The elevator
contained nearly 500 900 bushels of wheat.
The new plant of the Portland General
Electric Company. which had Just arrived
from Lynn. Mass. was standing IN the
yards of the terminal company on ths
cars. not yet having been unioaded. The
plant occupied an entire train. and the
machinery was of the most expensive
kind. Most of 1t was destroyed, and the
remainder damaged 0ne hundred freight
cars. eighty of which were loaded with
wheat were destroyed. In the Oregon
Railway Il Navigation Company's dock
there were ]. go tons Of freight. consisting
of wool, salmon. general merchandise and
cement, all Of which was destroyed with
the dock. There was stored on the dock
about 1900 cases Of salmon from tho
lower Columbia and Puget sound await
ing shipment to the East. 1t was valued
at about S40.oop, and was partially in.
sured.
Every available locomotive Mt the ter
freight cars out OF danger, but the fire
burned 50 rapidly that all could not 10
moved away. Sparks from the fire went
across the river and set ON fire the bone
yard. but the fire was extinguishcd 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 n towboat aud
was valued at about x45 COO
Three men are supposed TO have perished
in the elevator. Charles Anderson. a man
named Brown and another named Murray
were seen AZ an upper story window of the
elevator, and IL Is thought they were all
burned.
The losses, as near as can be ascertained
at this time, are follows:
Pacific Coast Elevator Company tycoooo
Portland General Electric Company. ma
Coal bnnkers North Pacinc Terminal N
Oregon Railway & Navigation Company.
ON docs, freight cars and steamer win
Merchandise on the docks. .......... au.oo0
The insurance carried will reach NOR.
than 500 90. The Liverpool, London &
Glooe Company has large share Of this.
When the fire broke out tho British ships
Maxwell and Znita were at the elevator
and the steamship Willamette was load
ing sheat at the o. II. 4 n. dock. All were
cut loose and drifted into the stream. All
three vessels were somewhat scorched.
but were not seriously damaged. A wood
seow caught fire and drifted down the
river 10 Swan island, where il was beached.
The burning of the Pacific Coast sieva-
tor will seriously interfere with wheat
shipments from this point. The CON-
panys property Is well insured. though at
this time IL is impossible 20 ascertain the
exact amount. Another elevator will be
constructed Immediately, but at this sea-
son of the year the loss OF the elevator will
greatly retard shipments.