The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-11


known in this city for some time oc-
CURED yesterday morning at the deaf
and dumb institute, in the university
square. AS a consequence, the insur
ance companies have sustained a loss
Of between $4,000 and $4,000.
The origin of the fire is mysterious.
1t is one of those things that will re-
main a mystery. The only plausible
theory is that offered by Superintend-
ent Metcalf. He says that between the
ceiling OF the upper floor and the roof
there was a large attic, with abso-
lutely no ventilation. During the
| summer the sun, beating down on the
tar roof makes this place so hot it is
almost impossible to draw a full
| breath. In addition the 1iue from the
stove used for cooking during the sum-
mer runs to this attic and increases
the heat and gases. He believes that
| the effect yesterday was to produce
| fire by explosion. He says that gas
is not turned on in the building and
therefore it is hardly possible dnat it
could have caused the fire, while the
f1ue used in the summer has never
been considered at all defective.
An Explosion.
All that is known by anyone is that
superintendent Metcalf had left the
place about five minutes to talk with
Janitor Nordvan of the university,
and was returning to the building
when he heard a muffied explosion
from the building and saw the flames
bursting out. AS he rushed toward
the building Mrs. Metcalf, who was
the only person inside, and who had
been startled by the same noise, ran
out to meet her husband.
Hyrum Mikesell, living across the
road on Third West, saw the flames
burst out of the circular window on
the west end and he and some others
ran inside, grasped the small safety
hose kept there and started toward
the place from whence the fire pro-
ceeded. Their action in opening the
door. however, created a draft and
the blaze soon drove them back.
An Alarm Sent In.
An alarm had by this time been sent
in to the fire department and the first
man to arrive on the scene was Chief
Devine. The call being from box 81
and by telephone, the east side depart
ment did not respond, until the chief
attached his telephone box to the
alarm box and sent in a second call.
The steamer then came down from
No. l. There was some difficulty
about it, as one of the horses was
balky and almost wore itself and its
mate out before the engine had gone
to Main street. No. l. however, is
said by those on the spot. to have ar
rived before the west side apparatus
put in an appearance on the scene.
By the time the department was in
working order the flames were over
the entire roof, blazing fiercely and
seemed to be spreading with fearful
rapidity. The chemical. then, did
some very good work Mccarthy and
Crosby .vent to the second floor and
kept the flames from coming down
the stairs until the steamer could
bring water to bear on the fire. Soon
several streams were at work, some
playing on the fire and some playing
to keep it from spreading to the lower
floor. After once getting, in working
order the department did good SerV-
ice All the men went in and about
the falling timber and cracking floors
at the risk of their lives, and inside of
two hours the entire blaze was put
out.
Confined to the Upper Floor.
The fire was confined to the upper
floor, though at times it reached
down and threatened to burn lower
on the building. A tree standing in
the yard was set on fire. The princl-
pal damage on the lower floors was
done by water, which leaked through
the ceilings and literally soaked the
building. Most of the personal effects
of Superintendent Metcalf were taken
out safely, though they were very
much scratched and otherwise dam
aged in the proceeding. The furniture
of the institution. so far as it could
be reached, was also taken out. Where
the fire was very little furniture was
to be found. Some bedding and other
things on the lower floors were dam
aged by the black water.
The explosion heard by the super
intendent could be heard a great dis
lance away and some persons said
they could hear it even in the bust
ness district. No chemicals were stored
in the attic or anywhere in the build
ing.
Loss and Insurance.
Conservative estimates place the loss
between $40, 900 and $4,000. The insur-
ance held is $50, 200. Very recently there |
was a sharp contest for this insurance. |
The Home and Phoenix offered a
heavy cut, the risk being considered |
gilt edge and this, after some negotia- !
tons, was met by the board companies, |
who took the business d a lower figure. !
The loss falls on the agency of Hugh |
Anderson, who placed $1,000 in the |
Aetna, and the agency of Conway & |
who placed $500 in the |
A las, $4,000 in the Delaware. $1,000 in |
the American Central and $500 in the |
Home of Utah. The last named COM