The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-17
F|REbUG At DUCHESNE
Second Incendiary Blaze at Post
Within Week.
LOSS WILL REACH $40, 900
MANY MULES AND CATTLE
WERE CREMATED.
Three Theories Advanced to Explain
Why the Incendiary Is at Work
Troopers, Indians and Bad Whites,
All Are Blamed-Wires Down and
News Hard to Get.
Especial to The HeraldJ


Price, Utah, July 16.-The second fire
within a week occurred at Fort Du-
chesne last night when the quartermas-
ter's stables and contents were entirely
consumed The loss was total, as was
the case on the night of July IL, when
the stables OF troop c and adjoining
corrals were burned. Nineteen mules
were burned to death last night ana
two We're killed today The loss also
includes twenty wagons, besides
number of ambulances, light spring
wagons, buckboards, pack saddles. har-
nesSeS and the hay and oats Eighty
five head of stock in the quartermaS-
ter'S stables were taken to the corrals
and there Stampeded to the open coun-
try These Will be gotten together when
they can be found. There are only four
escort wagons, in the shape Of vehicles
left at the post.
Perfect discipline was maintained
from the time the fire broke out at
1890 until after midnight when the
flames were gotten under control The
wind was blowing almost a gale and
had it not changed when the fire was
at its worst the officers quarters would
have been consumed. The loss of the
18th was estimated at $4,000 to $4,000,
but at that time the troops quarters
were vacant by reason of troop haV-
ing Deen sent 10 Il or 1puSldS
Last nights fire wiped out property
that can not be replaced at much less
than 500 900. There We're several cows
and calves also burned, but the exact
number will not be known for several
days. There may have been fifty of
these.
The telegraph wire from here out was
attached to the stable and there will be
considerable loss and delay in replac-
ing it. so that it will be some time
before communication can be re-estab-
lished.
Fort Duchesne is ninety-six miles
from Price and the lumber, feed and
the like is hauled from here. The sta
bles were built less than year ago.
News was brought on horseback to the
first telephone station and from there
sent in here.
Both Fires Incendiary.
An officer telephones that both fires
were incendiary. There are three rea-
sons given. One is that it is revenge
on the part of the sellers of whisky on
the Strip for interference by the com
mander at the post with their traffic
with the Indians. and an attempt to
drive lewd women from that part of
the country.
Another is that it is the work of old
Sowowic and his band of White River
Utes, who are preparing to go back to
Colorado. and who believe if they de-
stroy the post and the horses and con-
tents of the stables necessary to the
cavalry in marching they can get across
the line before the soldiers can follow
them.
a gentleman well acquainted at the |
post gives another theory to the effect |
that Captain ]. y. Guilfoyle, comman- |
der at the post. is unpopular with some |
of the soldiers and that it is spite work |
of the negroes who have been prohib- |
tied from going across the Duchesne |
river to the resorts on the Strip. a |
guard has been kept at <ne bridge to |
arrest them on their way back to the |
post after they had swan the river !
above. There has been since the order |
went into effect an average of thirty |
men daily in the guard house. They |
are given thirty days and a months |
pay as a fine.
There are any number of people here |
who are familiar with affairs out there,
and each one of the theories of incen
diarism has its advocates. The two fires
of the week have destroyed two out of
the four cavalry quarters or just one
half the post. Since the night of the
11th, a strong detail has done guard
duty. There was not lantern, lamp
or anything about the stables. The
first fire was reported to the quarter
master at Fort Logan, as incendiary.
There is a rumor that the officers have
parties under surveillance and that ar
rests are to follow in few days.