The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-24
Madison. =; Danburys. 2.
$780, 900 IN ASHES
PICTURESQUE PORTLAND, ORE, VS.
TIED by A DISASTROUS FIRE.
Half Mile Of Pacific Coast COmpany's
Docks with Elevator, Vessel and
Destroyed.

PORTLAND, Ore, Sept. 23.-The most
disastrous fire i'm the history of this city
broke out at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon in
the dock of the Pacific Coast Elevator
Company and ragged for three hours, de-
stroying property valued at nearly $780,
600. All day long a heavy wind has been
blowing, and nine alarms have been turned
in. The fire department was scattered
about the city, looking after the small
fires, when the alarm from the elevator
came. The scene of the fire is across
the river from the main part of the city,
and ii was at least fifteen minutes before
more than one engine could respond to
the general alarm. When the engines ar
rived the fire was beyond control, and in a
half hour from the time it started the
docks for a half mile were on fire. Moth
ing could be done but let the fire burn it
self out. The fire started in the dock be-
low the Pacific Coast Elevator Company's
main building, and the wind soon drove the
flames to the elevator itself. The flames
shot into the air two hundred feet. The
coal bunkers Of the North Pacific Ter
minal Company were next attacked, and
soon were a s~eething mass of flames. On
the east was the Oregon Railway and Nav
igation Company's wharf, 400 feet in length,
dilQ ILLS, TO-, WdS SOOH OH IRE lneTe was
no means of getting water on the fire ex-
cept from the river. and the fire-boat is an
improvised old scow and CT very little
service.
The elevator contained nearly half a mil
lion 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 the cars. not having been un-
and the machinery was of the most ex-
pensive kind. Most of it was destroyed and
the remainder badly damaged. Two hum
dred freight cars, eighty of which were
loaded, were destroyed. The Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation docks held 1850 tons
eral merchandise and cement, all Of which
was destroyed with the dock. There were
stored on the dock about 1900 cases of sal
mon from the lower Columbia river and
Puget sound, awaiting shipment for the
East. IL was valued at about 10000 and
was partly insured.
Every available locomotive at the termi-
nal works was set to work moving 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 fire 70 the boneyard, but il was
extinguished before any serious damage
to the yard was done: The large steam
boat, the Willamette Chief. moored at the
yard, took fire and was burned. She was
s45, 600.
Three men are supposed to have per-
ished in the elevator, Charles Anderson, a
man named Brown and one named Murray,
were seen at an upper story window of the
elevator and 1T is thought they were all
burned. The losses, as near as can be as
certained, ait this time, are as follows:
North Pacific Elevator Company, $500. 900:
Portland General Electric Company, ma
chinery, $4,000; coal bunkers OF the North
Pacific rmin Company, $40. 900; Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company, on dock,
freight cars and steamer Willamette Chief.
$3.50. 900: merchandise on docks, 5000. 600. The
insurance carried will reach more than
$500, goo. The Liverpool and London and
Globe Insurance Company has a large share
of this