The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-17
The following is an account of the

The following is an account of the
fires:
About 1880 last night Saturday
Frank PETIT and his brother were awak-
ened by q sitting smoke. They were
sleeping in James Petts home in the
center of the city. The young men
arose and with difficulty made their
way TO an open back coal room, where
they discovered the floor, door and cup
board in a lively blaze. By dint of
hard work they finally subdued the
flames. This was a frame building
that would have been a mass of flames
had the fire been discovered fifteen
minutes later. The fire bug" could
started this blaze. There was no stove
near the shanty.
At 1l:45, only fifteen minutes from
the time the PETIT fire was discovered,
the second place was found ablaZe.
The peculiar feature Of this is that it
was also in back coal shanty at the
corner of the kitchen door. The houses
are Two blocks apart on Main street.
This second place was the old Pres
byterian parsonage, now occupied by
Mrs. c. b. Sullivan, her daughter Miss
carolyn and granddaughter Miss Ma
RE Parsons, who are now teaching the
Presbyterian school, Fortunately they
had not retired at the usual hour this
evening. AT about 11:45 Mrs. Sullivan
saw through the open door a light in
the kitchen. Her daughter said she
had not left the lamp burning and
went to inspect the place. It ap-
peared rather dim and her first idea
was that the light came from a bur-
glars dark lantern. Mastering UP her
courage she peeped into the room and
to her horror discovered livid flame,
now beginning to crackle, creeping
rapidly up the kitchen door that open
ed into the coal shed. Quick as light
ming the lady dashed a pail of water
on the flames and they were soon eX-.
tinguished.
Nightwatchman Alex. Baird was
notified and an inspection of the place
proved that the door and coal near by
had been saturated with coal oil. Two
half burned matches were also found
in the shanty. 1t has an open outside
doorway and could have been easily
entered.
Two hours and a half later, at 2:3O
a. m, Mrs. Henry Jensen, who lives
on the block just west of the Sullivan
house, saw a person passing through
their lot with light, either a lantern
or a torch in his hand. Almost at the
same time a light burst forth from
the barn in the rear of Mrs. Sulli-
vans home. The alarm was given and
soon the f1remen and an immense
crowd of citizens were on the spot
The fire was started in the hay in the
loft, but the flames spread so rapidly
that the structure was soon leveled to
the earth. The firemen prevented any
spreading Of the flames. In the barn
were Judge E. B. Kinks carriage horse,
his buggy and cutter. No insurance.
Loss about $780, Mrs. Kirk feels very
bad over the loss Of her pet horse
When the volunteer firemen were ex-
tinguishing the last Of the flames, they
were astonished at hearing a second
sound Of alarm, and looking UP to-
ward the center Of the city a great red
cloud of smoke and fire was beginning
to rise heaYenward.
They were considerably delayed in
cutting off the water, emptying the
hose, coiling it on the cart and reach
ing the second scene of activity. This
was in Charles Knudsen's barn, only
stones throw from where the first
fire occurred in the Petit house.
These barns and sheds made an i'm
mense blaze, sending out live cinders
over the western part of the city; some
falling nearly mile away. They start
ed fires in lumber yard and other
places, but the owners were on the
lookout and promptly extinguished
them. Otherwise a large portion of
the city would be mass of ruins this
morning.
At this fire the volunteers did
splendid work. Were it not for their
efforts, Charles KnUdson's handsome
$4,000 residence, not quite completed.
would have burned to the ground. AS
1t was the west end got badly scorch-
ed. The building stood neal. the burn
ing barn. The Knudson barn was con
sumed, as was Mrs. Sarah Sduires'
stable and hay. In the Knudson barn
an express wagon, several sets of har-
ness. two milk cows and a horse were
burned. One horse was rescued from
the names, but with the skin licked off
MS head and his eyes nearly burned
out Mrs Squires, a widow, sister
OF e1-Mayor John D. Peters. lost her
milk COW, The Knudson place was un-
insured; loss about $500. Neither did
MIS- Squires have any Insurance.: loss
about $780,
This fire was also started in the bav
up IN the loft as was the one in the
Sullivan barn.
Seven fires in one week total loss
nearly $4,000, is rather roueh an a
town of 5000 people. But The md
nlable proofs of vicious incendfa risro
or the diabolical work of a fire i5 no no
maniac, is the shoe that pfnches hard