The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-10
A BIG BLAZE THREATENED
ORIGINATED IN THE KANSAS
CITY S. g. II. CO.'S PLACE.
The Firemen Worked Hard, and It
Took Two Hours to Extinguish
the Fire-The Building Fully In
sured-Amount Of the Loss.

umeS OF smoke could De seen pouring
from the windows of the oregon Shor
Line building. 1t was only a few min
utes from the time the alarm was sem
in till both departments were on the
scene and had several lines OF hose LAID
ready for use. The first entrance was
made by breaking the large plate glass
in the door of A. H. Boxrud & Co. s
store
Several firemen were quickly in the
room. but the smoke was so thick and
the place so dark that nothing could be
discovered. The fumes from the
burning wood were so dense that it was
impossible for any man to stay in it
more than a minute or so at time.
The hood was placed on one OF the fire
men and he penetrated far into the
interior of the store, but not sign of
the flames could be seen. The upper
part of the building and the rear were
being searched at the same time, with
the same success.
In the meantime Chief Devine with
some of the boys were exploring the
basement through the windows, but
nothing could be seen in that place but
smoke, An attempt was made to go
into the basement, but the smoke was
so thick that the firemen We're forced
back in q few moments. The back door
of the Kansas City Smelling company
place was broken open, and the firemen
CROPPED their way along the floor in
search of the fire. A roaring and crack
ling sound was heard directly under
them, and the floor was burning hot.
THE FIRE LOCATED.
This was undoubtedly where the
fire was. and ar AK was called for
in order to chop through the floor and
reach the blaze. Before work was
commenced On fba floor fhera q
crash, and flames suddenly shot up
through the floor, about 80 feet from
the door. The hose was run D. and the
flames quickly reduced, until nothing
but glow could be seen. The axe was
then used, and a small hole was cut
in the floor, through which the flames
made their exit. 1t was a dangerous
piece Of work which now presented it.
self TO the firemen, but there was not
one who faltered in his duty. They
made their way along the floor on
hands and knees, nearly suffocated
with the smoke. and began to tear up
the nOor to gain an entrance, through
which they could work. They knew
that the whole floor beneath them was
burning, and in one place further
ahead it had already fallen in. and
they did not know what instant the
floor under them would give way and
plunge them all into raging furnace.
' l.
lated that the Utah and Montana Ma
chinery company, which was next door
south, had powder stored in the base
ment-this was subsequently disproved
This added a new danger but work
never ceased and a hole was soon made
through which the nozzle of the hose
was pushed and a stream of water
poured. upon what flames could be
reached few minutes later a large
aperture was made in the floor and the
basement opened to view. The whole
interior seemed to be in flames and the
water was turned on Immediately
A ladder was then placed down to the
floor of the basement and some of the
men went down ii and played the hose
upon the fire which was now plainly in
view. 1t was bat a few minutes from
the time the opening was made until
The basement was full of firemen fight
ing the flames which were rapidly burn
ing the ceiling above them. 1t was not
long before the fire was practically out.
but for long time after it would break
ont in spots among the joists in the
ceiling. One of the peculiar circum-
stances was that the flames seemed to
run along the asbestos covering of the
steam pipes as if they were made of
canvas and were not supposed to be
freproof
In the meantime all the doors and
the smoke could get out. When enough
of the fumes had been expelled TO al
low man to breathe in the interior of
the building, an examination was made
of the premises to locate, if possible,
the cause of the fire. At first it was
pipes being overheated, but this was
later disproyed.
CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
There was no furnace in the build
ing, as all of the heat is obtained from
the Dooly building. All OF the condi-
tons seemed to point conclusively to
one point, the assay furnace in the sam
ping room III the rear of that part of
the building occupied by the Kansas
City Smelling and Refining company
The floor on the west side CT the assay
furnace was burned through and a
large opening was made by the flames
at that place. What appeared to be the |
hood and stand containing the chem /
icals and other articles used in assay /
3ng. were overturned ana had fallen I
partly through the floor.
No other place in the building was /
found where the flames had burned /
through the floor and an examination /
made of the timber in the flooring /
seemed to point to the fact that the /
flames started on top of the floor and !
" Crked downward. Probably under the /
brick floor around the furnace. There /
was nothing in the basement whatever
that could burn until part of the floor
fell in. 1t was a remarkable fire, in /
that il was a long time before il could I
be located, the smoke making it impos-
sible TO see or live in the building, and /
no way was found practicable 10 reach
the part of the basement in which the
flames were located.
Chief Devine and his men deserve
credit for the efficient manner in which
they worked under the most trying cir
II was over two hours be-
fore the last sparks were eXtinguished
but II WIS q close call to the whole
building.
THE BUILDING.
The building was erected last spring.
by Messrs. Chambers, Macintosh and
Dolly, at a cost of $75, 600. The large
and substantial structure is amply in
sured to cover the loss, which will
amount to several thousand dol
lars. The chief items of loss
to the building. or rather the
north half of it, are broken plate
glass doors and footlghts, and damag-
al flooring, which will require extensive
repairs.
Very slight damage other than smoke
was done 10 the effects and fixtures in
The offices of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
St Paul, and Burlington railroad COM
panies on the ground floor, and the
general traffic. operating and account
ng Offices of the Oregon Short Line in
ne second story.
THE LOSSES.
The Utah ard Montana Machinery
Office and store, on the south