The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-17
INCIDENTS OF THE
FIRE At DAWSON
Fortunate Escapes From
Death.
COST OF REPRESENTATION
CITY COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED
WITH APPARATUS.
Hours Lost in Setting Up the Chemi-
cal Engine, Payment for
Which the Officials
Had Delayed.
COST OF REPRESENTATION
CITY COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED
WITH APPARATUS.
BY HAL. HOFFMAN.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SEATTLE, Nov. 16.-The sudden de-
cision of the captain of the up-river
steamer Ora to run chances on making
White Horse Rapids before the ice
could stop him was the means of the
carrying of the news of the big fire at
Dawson to the outside world. The Ora
left on October 20, six days after the
fire. All of the previous night she had
lain with steam up. Early in the
morning it was decided to make the at
tempt, and she left on two hours no
tice, crowded with passengers at $500
each for the trip and 81 each per meal
pork and beans and bread and coffee
three times a day. 1t was owing to
this unexpected and sudden determine
ton of the Ora's captain to buck the
Yukon and the threatening winter that
the Dawson correspondents were not
prepared to send out any matter on the
fire Had 1t not been for the Ora there
is a probability that the news of the
fire might not have reached the coast
for a month or more, and a possibility
that it might not have been known I'M
til spring. The trip up was made in
eighteen days to Skaguay, some delay
having been met at this side of White
Horse.
Private Mullins of Montreal, mem
Der of the infantry, was on the roof or
Svendgard's drug store fighting the fire,
when he lost his footing and slid over
a flaming surface to the ground. A
blazing beam fell on his neck, and but
for the timely assistance or people IN
the crowd he would have been Killed
He is severely but not fatally injured
and is in the hospital
A log wall fell over on G.. 0. Ellis,
whose head is burned and bruised Dan
Million was struck on the head by the
handle of an ak and knocked sense
less.
The big Joke Of the confagration IS
on a man named W. A. Jones. He
was inside his cabin when the rope and
dynamite brigade rushed up. They had
their lines fast to that cabin In not
much more time than 1t requires TO
write it and pulled it down upon Jones
head. Jones head has some pumps on
it, and he was very angry.
Private Enfield of the artillery mad
his face severely scorched.
AL Haskins was badly wrenched by
jumping from a roof. Eyebrows ana
mustaches were scorched to the roots
on many men.
Durine. the fire a fusillade of shots
was heard in several buildings which
had rife and revolver cartridges TO sell
and the crowd scattered hurry-scurry
Business in all Dawson was entirely
suspended during the fire.
Boodwin Bros, on the water 1ront,
saved their stock by lowering 1t with
ropes to the beach below while the
front of the building was burning. Pat
Galyin'S meat market was saved,
though buildings were burned, all
around it. Dick Lowe last building
in the fire. He is said to be now In
San Francisco. He is the lucky man
who has already taken $225,O00 out OF
fractional claim of 80 feet with the pay
streak as vet unexhausted. A build
ing back of the Worden Hotel, occu-
pied by Esther Duffey and owned py
William Chappell of No. 80, FL Dorado,
was destroyed; loss, $4,000.
The confagration might have been
prevented if the property owners nad
got together and paid for the chemlcai
and steam fire engines which had Deen
wing in pieces on the ground for weeks.
The engines would then have been set
up and ready and the fire would not
have spread beyond the Green Tree sa-
loon. where Belle Mitchell threw the
lamp. The disposition was not fayora,,
BILE to paying for the apparatus, and
the representation has cost dawson
not less than $700, 900 in actual damage
and at least $500, 900 in loss of business
before buildings can be re-erected and
ready for business.
There is a lesson in this for Juneau
and Skaguay, neither of which has bet
ter than hand engine. If any en-
terprising man can put wings on sew
eral million feet of lumber ana sew
eral tons of glass and fly it in over the
snow SUBMITS this winter he could
make a good thing to lay up to during
the remainder of his natural life. But
| It should not be tried without wings.