The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-25

Spokane, Jan. PA fire in which the
loss will run up to 100000 worth of
property and at the very least five lives
were lost, took place tonight The Great
Eastern block, at the corner of Post
street and Riverside avenue. six stories
in height and constructed of brick,
caught fire about 11:45 pm, and in
three hours was totally demolished.
ALL ASLEEP.
All ot the upper two floors and part
of the third floor were used for lodg-
ing purposes, and at least $50 people
were asleep in the building when the
fire started. While most of them es-
capped with only their clothes, it is
thought a number persisted. What
makes the horror greater is that no
one knows who is still imprisoned. AS
the people were removed from the burn
structure or escaped themselves, they
sought places of safety. The last out
of the upper floors report forms lying
in the hall and women shrieking in the
flames. The origin of the fire is sup
posed to have been in the engine room.
AN EXPLOSION.
Mrs. Stark Oliver, wife of DR.. Stark
Oliver, who lived on the second floor,
says she heard an explosion shortly be-
fore the flames appeared. The boiler
of the engine may have exploded and
caused the fire TO start. There is an
other theory and that is the chemicals
in the basement stored there for the
Photographic supply of John W. Ora
ham & Co. exploded.
GREAT EASTERN BLOCK.
The Great Eastern block was built in
1890 at a cost of s25O,OOO, and was owned
by Louis Levinsh of San Francisco,
who carried but $4,000 worth of in
surance. On the ground floor of the
structure were the establishments of
the John W. Graham Paper company.
stationery and supplies, and Skerritt
q Donnelly, boots and Shoes
Both are total losses. Graham car
ried stock worth $50, 200, 20 per cent
OF which is covered by insurance. The
firm of Skerritt e. Donnelly had a stock
of s25, 900. of which $4,000 was covered
by insurance.
In the offices above there were large
losses on law libraries and fixtures, be
and household goods.
VERY HOT FIRE.
The fire was a singularly hot one
and the fire department was long in
getting it under control. Even then the
flames rose hundreds of feet in the air I
as long as two hours after it started. I
All the hose in the department was
brought into use and the stores = the 1
city were called upon for all their $50 k I
Because os the network OF e rtric /.
wires surrounding the building, il was /
with the utmost difficulty that the /
ladders Of the department were eie- 1
waited. While they were going up, the 1
people were at the windows, flames and /
smoke bursting out about them. |
shrieking. Crowds of people on the |
streets below shrieked in sympathy |
with them.
FELL FROM FIFTH STORY.
Mrs. II. G. Davies of Nebraska City. |
Neb., fell or jumped from fifth-stOry
window to the cement pavement below.
She died at the Sacred Heart hospital +
two hours later.
A thrilling rescue was that of Rob-
ert Mason, his wife and their 2-year-
old son from the fifth floor on the Post
street side. From a fire escape on the
fourth floor, seven feet to one side from
their window, the firemen threw them
a rope, which Mason made fast to his
bed and came down hand over hand,
carrying his boy. Mrs. Mason fol-
lowed. AS she hung suspended far
above the ground, the huge crowd
Watched with breathless interest. When
she was grasped by the fremen a shout
Of IOy went uD.