The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-01-04
SILVER LAKE DISASTER
Additional Particulars
From It
Sent by the Judge of
Lake County.
A Graphic Description of the Awful
Fire Where many Lives
Were Lost.

PORTLAND, Or, Jan. Hon. E.
NJ. Brattain, county judge of Lake
county, writes from Silver Lake to
the Associated Press in this city under
date of Dec 9th, giving additional
particlt1Grs of the awful calamity
which befell Silver Lake settlement
on Christmas eve. Mr.. Brattain says:
The people, about 200 in number,
were holding a Christmas tree, and
after a short literary programme had
been rendered We're about to begin
distributing the presents with which
the tree was loaded, when George
Paine, a young man, started to go
toward the door, walking on top of
the seats His head struck a large
Rochester lamp holding over a gallon
of coal oil. The blow caused the
lamp to swing and some of the oil
spilled out. Paine caught hold of the
lamp to steady it, but in an instant the
oil ignited. Francis Chrisman, own
er of the hall, grabbed the lamp out
of the chandelier and started for the
door. The blazing lamp caused
panic and some one knocked it out
of his hands when within a few feet
of the door. The excited crowd began
kicking the lamp, scattering the
burning oil in every direction. Ia an
incredibly short time the entire north
end of the hall where the door was
located was a mass of flames, cutting
off all egress from the door. The
crowd rushed for the southwest Win
dow and a number escaped in this
way by climbing out on the awning.
The awning finally broke down under
the weight of such a large number
but ladder was secured and several
more were rescued. The flames, how
ever, We're rapidly eating their way
toward the window, and those clamor-
ing about the window were becoming
more frantic every second. Suddenly
the flames burst out and envelOped
the entire building, shutting off every
avenue Of escape. The screams and
grOanS of the human beings who were
being roasted alive were heartrending.
Those on the outside were pOwerlesS
to assist the unfortunate victims and
were compelled to stand and see their
relatives and friends burned to death.
Forty persons are known to have per-
ished in the flames and thirty or forty
more badly injured. There was moth
ing left to identify the victims and
the bones were gathered up and all
buried in one grave
This terrible calamity has prostrated
the whole county and every house in
the village has been turned into a
hospital. People have come here from
all over the county to administer to
the injured. Many have come from
Lakeview, 100 miles away, and one
half the people of Paisley and Sum-
mer Lake are here attending the sick.
James Small, well-known stock
raiser of the county, had started east
with a band of horses and had reached
Burns, Harvey county, when he heard
that his son was one of the victims
of the fire. He started to return i'm
mediately and in nineteen hours he
covered a distance of 200 miles on
horseback He returned just in time
to see the bones of his son laid to rest
in the common grave with the other
victims.
Following is the list of dead and in
jured as given by Mr.. Brattain:
Dead-Mrs. Judea Abshier, John H.