The record-union., 1895-12-30
WASHINGTON HAD A LIVELY FIRE.
Several Buildings Destroyed on Sat-
urday Morning.
Showers of Sparks Carried by the
Heavy Gale to This Side OF
the River.

During the severe gale that prevailed
about t o'clock Saturday morning
fire broke out in Grant Freeman's gro
Gerry store in the town of Washington,
on the Yolo side of the river, and de-
stroyed several buildings on the north
side of the railroad track leading to the
west end of the old bridge. Two or
three buildings on the south side of the
track were also badly damaged.
Fortunately the fire started so near
the river, as the high wind from the
northwest drove the flames toward the
river and away from the rest of the
town The watchman's cabin and tool
house at the end of the old bridge was
burned, and about forty feet of the
bridge was badly charred.
The fire caused great excitement
among the people of the town, as the
village is without fire protection, and
many feared that all the houses along
the river front would be swept by the
flames. The men and women of Wash
ington hurriedly turned out and fought
the fire with every hand device that
could be utilized to carry water, but
their efforts would have been of no
avail had not Night Yardmaster New
L
called out the fire train and crew and
sent them across the river to help the
Westinghouse.
The fire train did great work It con-
fined the fire to small area and saved
the Standard Oil Company's tanks and
warehouses, containing thousands of
gallons of coal oil and gasoline, from
destruction. Had the oil plant taken
of the destruction would have been, but
it would have wiped out many little
homes of working people and perhaps
have caused the loss Of not few lives.
The row of small frame buildings eX-
tending from the end of the old bridge
westward about one hundred and fifty
feet were burned to the ground, but
considerable of their contents were
saved. There were many exciting scenes
while the fire was in progress, and few
narrow escapes from death, notably
those of Mrs. Oswald and her two lit
tie girls, who were rescued by Joseph
Bright, who got out none to soon him
self
While on the roof of his house protect
ing it from being burned, ]. NJ. Kelsey
made misstep and fell to the ground,
q distance of some twenty-five feet.
Ma bones were broken, but he was badly
injured and will probably be laid up for
some time
None of the buildings burned on the
north side of the track were valuable,
all being old and small frame struct-
ures, but on the south side two two
story buildings were badly damaged.
The entire loss in buildings and goods
destroyed amounts to somewhere be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000
Freeman's loss was about $1,000 on
groceries, covered by insurance; Mrs.
Henry Harness. store and household
furniture, $4,000 insured; Seth Gains
ley's building, $500, insured; Mrs
Charles Waring, Freeman's store build
ing, $4,000; B. O. Dolan's collar and
whip shop, 5000; Mrs. Kelsey, Moffett
saloon building, $780, insured. Duffy
Bros. lost something by the destruc-
ton of their saloon, and there were
some other minor losses.
The high wind carried showers of
blazing cinders across the river, and
hundreds of people gathered along the
river front on this side and on the new
railroad bridge to watch the grand py-
rctechnic display. There was for time
considerable fear that the sparks would
set fire in a score of places on this side,
and Chief Engineer Guthrie had two of
the fire engines taken to Front street in
case their services would be required,
but fortunately they were not.
The engines would have been sent
across the river TO help the Washing
ton people, but Chief Guthrie did not
give such an order because there was
40 water supply over there.
Bad as the fire was, our neighboring
burg got off very lucky, for had the
fire started farther back from the river
nothing could have stayed its progress
until the stream was reached.