The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-08-09
BURNED TO A CRISP.
-Four Lives Go Out With the
Pendleton Fire
ONE WHOLE BLOCK CONSUMED.
PitifuI Scenes in the Silent Hours Of
Night--A Narrow Escape
From Death.
ONE WHOLE BLOCK CONSUMED.

en- SLTuCbuT6o III CuulotOA WCnt up
in sheet of flames.
The fire department responded
to the first stroke of the bell, the
first stream only staying for few
moments the progress of the fire in
the lower story Of the Main street
front, while the roof and second |
story blazed higher and higher. |
By the time the fire department
was in full fighting shape the |
Transfer house was as good as gone
and the several streams were di-
rected with the idea of saving, if
possible the adjoining buildings.
Then the roof of the express
office, at least $50 feetaway' caught
fire and the 0. R. & N. depot and
the round house perhaps so feet
further began to smoke, Prompt
work with the company's hose
lines saved all these building, while
buckets of water kept Henry Ko-
pittke's office from burning.
This situation was brought about
in surprisingly short time, and
men were saving all they could
from buildings adjoining the Trans
fer house. Henry Kopittke found
d man on sofa in the back room
of Fred Allison'a saloon, presuma-
bly, dead drunk, and he attempted
to drag him out, but was unable to
do so and was almost overcome by
the smoke and heat, barely escap.
ing with his own life as great
| gust Of flames all but overwhelmed
him.
Several persons were hurt in
jumping ont OF second story win
dows but it il not known how
many. A. Marmont was slightly
| injured below the knee and had his
face cut; E. HI. Bettinger's scalp
was cut open; two others were more
or less cut by broken glass.
When the flames had subsidized
sufficiently for a search among the
blackened ruins, the firemen began
to hunt for bodies. The first one
recovered was Frank Breeding. 1t
was found in the rear of Allison's
saloon. Henry Kopittke had, DUR
ing the fire, found him lying in a
drunken stupor. He shook the
man and attempted to make him
realize his danger. But, though
the smoke was smothering and the
heat intense, Breeding refused to
move, and Mr.. Kopittke was com
PEELED to rush out to save his owr
life.
In the Transfer house, Old Wolf
the old reservation jailer, was sleep
ing in the loft. He failed to es
cape and the charred remains wer'
! found and laid out on the side
walk.
Two ether bodies were recovere'
but three men were rnissing-G
! Clacking, William Struenson ami
J. D.sTailor 1t is not known fron
where they came, as they had no
written on the Register their ad
!, dresses. Brakeman Walrave
roomed with Tailor and saw hir
90 out upon the roof of the aljoir
! ing building. He thought ther
was an abundant opportunity 70
Tailor to escape. But when th
coroner's jury was impanelet
! Tailor had not shown up. TIL
night clerk, Ira Wilson, thought b
loaned Tailor a coat after the fl
! during the night, but did nj
J know him personally and coul
: not be positive.
3 There is uncertainty regardir
+ the burning Of an infant. Mr.
! Mary Halsell Of Adams alleges 81
i saw a little child in the hotel an
' that no one went to save it becau
!. Of the intensity ofthe heat. 1t
alleged that there was no sue
child in the hotel, and only Mr
Halsell has been found to asse
. that there was. She was quite po
L. tive in her statement to areport'
is who interviewed her as she w
d goin gout Of town on the train t.
ic wards Athena.
r The four bodies lay for time
u the sidewalk, gazed at by croV
ID of curious ones, but were later
G moved to the building next door
" r. Martins store. It was in Il
q building Chinaman was murd'
4 ed year ago, and thus a secol
y time there gathered about the do
fe a crowd Of people to view the dea
TO The crowd seemed to find pleasr
in looking at the remains of the Y
fortunate four.
i The physicians made a care
= examination. The opinion v
- y that all were men though DR..
- - man asserted that one was a
= = m ,'s body. Since no woman
- - mi- and other physicians p
y = se, a,frary opinions, this is
- - lievfa to be untrue.
= = Frank Breeding was a m
- who had been employed in
lumber camps at Wilbur, Kan
:. and Meacham for the past
:. = years. He was an Odd Fellow 3