Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-09-12
men ARE NOW
DELV|NC IN RUINS
Forces Clearing Away the Debris
Incident to Big Fire,
SOME MORE NEW THEORIES,
Il Thought WAS Caused by the Break.
ing Of n Bottle, the Acid IL Con-
tanned IgnIdng straw.


Little wreaths of smoke continue to
arise from the ruins Of Tuesdays big
fire and the work Of clearing out the
basement and sorting the debris con-
tinued today with an augmented force
Of men on the scene. All the safes have
been removed and transferred to the
various temporary offices that have
been selected by the burned-out ten
ants. The big safe of Spencer Clawson
Dry Goods company. which lay in one
OF the hottest spots beneath the ruins,
was early this morning taken to the
firms new quarters at i2l south East
Temple street and opened. II was
found that the valuable securities and
papers which il contained were practi-
cally untouched.
The small safes belonging to the
Oregon Short Line which went crashing
down into the cellar have also been
opened and the contents, beyond be-
Ing somewhat discolored are practi ally
intact, although the writine on some OF
the papers is somewhat illegible.
Adjacent to the ruins OF lhe vault
which was so effeotullly we ,ked by
the explosion fused coins ana silver
ware were unearthed this morning.
The sllyerware Is that belonging TO Tax
Agent j. b. Evans Of the oregon Short
Line. Prior to the departure Of Mrs.
Evans on a visit TO friends and r.la-
tives Mr.. Evans had brought all the
valuable family plate down flom lis
residence In order that Il might not
perchance fall into the hends OF { n en-
terprising burglar during his absence
from home. The silverwdre, consisting
Of sugar bowls, cream jugs, spo ms and
other articles Is recognizable, but be-
yond that fact il win not be possibly
of much use except 10 stow away in a
cabinet as a souvenir OF the great ire.
Assistant General Passenger Agent D.
s. Spencer of the Oregon Short Line
spent good portion OF the morning
down ia the basement experimenting
the burning Of the semi-chsrred tickets
and records which were unearthed. II
Is his intention to destroy all Of the
tickets that are recovered from the de-
bris.
Contrary TO expectation the demoli-
ton OF the lettering walls was not pro-
ceeded with today and unless a heavy
wind comes up the walls will be
left standing until the Easements have
been thoroughly overhauled by the
army Of searchers.
The heart OF one youuS electrician
employed by the Utah Electrical &
Supply company, was made glad this
morning by discovering his box Of tools
intact. that is, the box was burned out
of commission, but IL had fallen under
some beams and the tools had been
saved.
Among number Of uninsured losses
may be enumerated Friend Bros. Cloth
ing company Of Milwaukee, clothing
samples, 1880; Nahum Bros. Of Phil
adelphia, shoe samples, $3.50; Elicit
Bros. Of Kansas City, shoe samples,
$3.50; Raymond Glove Factory New
York, glove samples, S75.
II Is understood that the Oregon
Short Line does not carry a blanket
policy with any insurance company. but
their loss will be made good from GER
tain percentage OF the earnings OF the
company, which has annually been SEE
aside to meet losses by fire on the part
Of the company.
The origin Of the fire still remains a
deep mystery One OF the theories now
advanced is that a bottle containing |
sulphuric or some equally strong acid. |
was accidentally broken In one Of the |
barrels, and that the acid ignited the |
straw which was packed In the barrel. |
IL Is understood that the Mine & Smei. |
ter Supply company had a number OF |
barrels OF bottled acid stored in tho |
basement. Just what caused the eA
plosion Is also equally matter or |
theory. The smelter supply people |
are emphatic in their assertion that |
there was no powder stored on the |
premises and they say that the south /
wall must have been blown out the big /
vault wrecked and tons Of mine rails /
and iron hurled with terrific force as
the direct result of an explosion caused |
by the stored acids
When II comes 10 losses in dollars and
cents the big cOnnagration OF Tuesday |
Is away ahead Of any other fire that
has visited Utah.
SALT LAKES BIG FIRES.
The heaviest losse by fire in sat
Lake City as CLEANED from the exist
ing records Of the FIRE department are.
November 16. lS75-Hussey's Bank
and Seigel Clothing company. loss.
500, 900.
June q, lSS3-Counci House. II. b.
Clawson's warehouse powder explosion
wrecking $4,000 worth Of plate glass in
the city,. c. r. Savage. art gallery.
scTace. bakery; Sorensen & Carlquist.
furniture store: Elias Morris, grave
stones; Jos. Hyrum Parry, Job print
Ing: and the shoe shop Of Jos Rawlins
and Ben Judson; Tabernacle and Tlth-
ing Office roofs also slightly damaged.
Total estimated loss. $4,000.
May rs, -Dinwoodey Furniture
store and Callers Music Palace, loss.
1870 5s5.
July 3. lss0-walker Opera House,
loss. $4,000
February 2, is92sLace House, loss.
ii72i6.95.
February ?. iS97-scott AuerhacH
building. loss, ss0esiH
The records for the past eleven years
snding December 81. 1900, show the