The herald., 1894-09-24
THE PREY OF FLAMES.
A Most Disastrous Fire at
Portland.
Property Worth 81, 100000 De-
str0yed.
Half a Mile Of Docks and Buildings
Burned.
Tho Flames Confined to tho Water Front.
Heavy Losses of Tansportation
Compsniss- Several Fa-
talfttes.

By the Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 23.-The most
disastrous fire in the history of this city
broke out st 80 o'clock this afternoon
on the dock Of the Pacific Coast Elevator
company and ragged for three houra, de-
stroying property valued at nearly
$1,5O0,00
All day long heavy wind had been
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
Gre Ia in lower Alpina, across the river
from the main part of the city, and it
was at least 10 minutes before more than
one engine could respond to the general
alarm.
When the engines arrived the fire
WAS beyond control, and in half an hour
from the time the fire started the docks
for half q mile were on fire. Nothing
could be done but lot the fire burn itself
out.
A FIRE started on the dock below 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 200 feet, making q
beautiful sight in the twilight. The
coal bunkers of the North Pacifo Ter
ninal company on tho west we're now
attacked and coon were q seething mass
of fismes. On the east was the Oregon
Railway and 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 frsboat. an impro-
vissd old scow. was OF very little service.
| The elevator contained nearly half
| millioa bushels of wheat. The new
uss.s. pea -a~sl -Elactsia
Lynn. Mass, was standing in the yarde
| OF the Terminal company ON the cars,
not yet having been unlosded. The
plant occupied an entire train and the
machinery was OF the most expensive
kind. The most of it WAS destroyed and
the remainder damaged.
One hundred freight cars, 80 of which
were loaded with wheat, were destroy ed.
Ga the o. X. and N. DOCK there was
| 1900 tons 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 12,000 cases OF salmon from
the lower Columbia and Puget ound,
awaiting shipment to tho east. 1t was
valued at about SAC, 900, and was partially
insured.
Every available locomotive at the
Terminal works wan set to work moving
freight cars out of danger, but the fire
burned 30 rapidly that all could not be
moved away. Sparks from the FIRE went
ha nd
yard, but the fire was extnguished be-
fore any serious damage to the yard was
done.
The large steamer Willamette Chief,
moored at the yard, took fire and was
burned. She was used as tow boat,
and was valued at about $45, 900.
Three men are supposed to have per-
ished in the elevator. Charles Ander-
son, man named Brown and one named
Murray were eeen at an upper story
window of the elevator, and it ia thought
they were all burned.
The Losses as near ss can be ascer-
tanned at this time are as follows: Pa
cifio Coast Elevator company, $500,000;
Portland General Electric company,
machinery. $50, 600; coal bunkers OF the
North Pacific Terminal company, $4O,-
600; Oregon Railway and Navigation
company, ON dock, freight cars and
stesmer Willamette Chief, $3.50, 900;
merchandise on the docks, 5000, 900.
The insurance carried will reach more
than 100000. The Liverpool, London
and Globe Insurance company has a
large share OF this
When the fire broke out the British
ships Maxwell and Zinita were at the
elevator and the steamship Willamette
was loading wheat at the O. Il. & N.
dock. All were cut loose and drifted
into the stream. All three vessels were
somewhat scorehed, but were not seri-
ously damaged. A wood scow caught
FIRE and drifted down the river to Swan
island, where it was beached.
The burning of the Pacific Coast ele.
vatsr will seriously interfere with wheat
shipments from this point. The COM
pany's property ia we'll insured, though
at this time it is i'm possible to ascer-
tain the exact amount. Another ele
vator will be constructed immediately.
but st this season OF the year the loss OF
the elevator will greatly retard ship
ments.