The record-union., 1898-11-07
Destructive Fire in the
City This Morning,
Two Of the Largest Workshops
Utterly Destroyed.
The Firemen Seriously Handicapped
by a Lack of Water.

A terrible loss fell on this city at an
early hour this morning, by the de-
struction of several Of the immense
workshops of the Southern Pacific
Company in the northern part of the
city.
The fire started about lis in the
car and machine shop, in the center OF
the great group Of large and costly
buildings, and burned with such rapid
ity, famed by a stiff northwest wind.
that in a half-hou the building, with
all it's fine and costly machinery, part
RECONSTRUCTED coaches and immense
piles Of lumber and material. was
Quilted and the walls were falling in all
directions.
The city fire department and the
railroad companys fremen were all
quickly at work, but the water supply
was inadequate and little or no pro-
gress was made toward checking the
flames Some of the streams from
the fre-hose did not reach twenty feet
above the ground.
From the car and machine shop the
fire entered the windows and attacked
the roof of the large cabinet shop, saw
and planning mill on the south sideof the
roadway, and in a moment the whole
interior of the building-a splendid
brick structure-was a roaring fur
mace
The planning mill was filed two
stories in hight with fine, seasoned
lumber that burned like finder. AS the
upper floors burned away the whole
mass fell to the ground floor, taking
with it a large section Of the north
wall.
Fortunately the firemen were all
aware of the danger of getting in be-
tween the burning buildings, and up to
o'clock, when the reporter first left
the scene, no casualties had occurred.
At that hour it looked as if the large
building occupied by the blacksmithing
department, forming a south ell to the
north end of the planning mill, would
surely go, as the wind was driving the
flames in that direction.
In that building was a force Of rail-
road workmen working the fire ap
paratus, and it was feared it might be
crushed in by the falling walls Of the
planning mill, but the men staid at their
post of duty manfully with roaring
flames about them. Indeed, hundreds
of the railroad employees gathered at
the shops and did all that human power
could do to stay the flames, but with
the lack Of water and the combustible
nature of the material contained in the
buildings, their efforts for an hour aid
a half were not of much avail.
Division superintendent Wright, Sup
erlntendent of Construction Small, Mas
ter Mechanic Heintzelman and other
officials of the company were present
10 direct the operations of the
men. while Chief Engineer Guthrie of
the City Fire Department had control
of that service.
At 2:30 o'clock word was received
that the company's store-house was ex-
pected to be attacked at any moment,
but the building escaped.
Fortunately there were no important
buildings directly south of the planning
mill and in the track of the falling Gin
ders, and after the fire had destroyed
the latter building and it's contents the
outlook Cat 2:45 o'clock was that it
would be prevented from attacking any
other buildings.
It is impossible at this writing to give
even an estimate of the probable loss
to the railroad company, but it will
doubtless reach nearly 5000, 1000.