The record-union., 1897-12-30
BIG FIRE AT SAN BERNARDIN0.
A NUMBER OF BUILDINGS LAID
IN RUINS.
The Losses Estimated at Seventy
Five Thousand Dollars; Insur-
ance Twenty Thousand.

SAN BERNARDINO, Dec. 29-Short-
ly after o'clock this afternoon fire
broke out in Whitneys planning mill, and
in a few moments the whole building,
together with piles of lumber, We're IN
roaring flames. Cinders, live Goals and
burning lumber We're carried Oh the
strong wind thousands of feet, threaten
ing to destroy the principal buildings
of the city, which lay directly in the
path of the wind.
The fire swiftly communicated to the
Episcopal church and the homes Of
James Murray, A. G.. Kendall, the
Green estate and II. C. Rolfe, which in
few minutes were beyond control.
Soon reports of fire communicating to
buildings over a thousand feet away.
anG in widely different localities, warn
ed the authorities that if the city was
to be saved from destruction prompt ac-
ton was necessary. Requests for help
were wired to Riverside, Cotton and
Redlands, and the fire departments of
those cities responded promptly to calls.
By the time these companies had ar
rived the fire had jumped a distance Of
three hundred feet from the north cf
Fourth street to houses on tie south
side of Court street, between f and +
street. Four buildings in this locality
were swept away, adding to the flying
embers and multiplying the danger.
The fire companies We're all this time
doing good work turning streams of wa
ter upon the burning buildings and tear
ing down the ruins. Hundreds Of men
were stationed all over the endangered
kept busy in quenching the falling en-
bers. When the business blocks of the
city were most in danger the wind sud
denly died down, and the fire was within
few minutes brought under control.
The fire started by the overturnlng
o. a lamp for heating glue in the Whit
ney planning mill on f street, north Of
Fourth, and burned everything from
that point south to Fourth street and
as far east as Fleming's lumber yard,
together with five frame buildings on
the south side of Court street, between
E and F streets.
The total loss, as far as can be esti-
mated, is $4,000, with an estimated in
surance of about $4,000. The individ-
uai losses, as far as can be ascertained,
are. J. j. Whitney $4,000, insurance
$1,000; w. G.. Wright, house and con-
tents, $1,000, insurance $1,000; Eplsco-
pal church $1,000, insurance $1,000; y.
G.. Kendall, house and contents, 50, iOo,
insurance 81 800; James Murray, house
and contents, $4,000, insurance $4,000;
Fl. c. Rolfe, house and contents, S2,SUU.
insurance 81 900: Green estate, house
and contents, So, 700; skating rink, $500;
Wilcox & Rose $1,000, insurance S2,OOo,
Ray Woodward. house, $1,000, no in
surance; J. L. Porter, house, Sl.0OO, in
surance $500: Mrs. Abbott $500, no i1'-
surance; McAbee estate. two houses,
81, 800, insurance LOO; John Ward,
house, $1,000, insurance $500; Joseph
Marks $1,000, insurance 81, 100.
One of the greatest personal losses met
by one individual was that of W.. G.
Wright, who has devoted his life ID
natural history collections. which were
in some features rare and known ID
scientists throughout the country. These
collections had market value of fifteen
or twenty thousand dollars.