Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-13

tongues three substantial business
blocks on State street between Second
and Third South streets. AS II was. and
BIZ gallant effort. the firemen succeeded
In keeping the eonfagration confined to
the fur1iture establishment Of Warren
Paul. located In the Swan block. I'm
medately north Of the Swan block Is
The Merriam q 0'Meara block, In which
ia located the J. Geo. Leyner Machinr
cry company. thu Salt Lake Furniture
company and she Imperial roomi7g
apartment house.
THE DAMAGE
The principal damage was to the
Warren Paul furniture establishment.
Mr.. Paul is in San Francisco and Mrs.
Pau was unable 10 say exactly what
the value of the stock was, but gave
the estimate of from 5000 to $4,000. The
insurance, Mrs Paul thought, would
probably cover half the value Of the
goods.
Through smoke and water the occu-
pants OF the apartments above will SUI
fer some loss, but through the care OF
the department the damage Will come
principally from theft rst named ele-
ment, as will the loss to the propretors
Of the rooming establishments.
LAMP TIPPED OVER.
e. F. Elwell, an employe at Paufs
furniture store was working In the
basement moving some furniture, when
he accidentally knocked a lighted
lamp over. The lamp fell to the floor
on some excelsior, which caught fire In
the twinkling OF an eye. Elwel made
desperate attempt 10 extinguish the
blaze. but was unsuccessful. Realizing
II would be little short OF madness 10
remain their longer he made dash for
the street and gave the alarm. The ex-
celsior and other in1ammable material
in the basement. blazed up as though
Il had been soaked In oil The flames
spread rapidly and in an incredibly
short time the whole basement was
ad9ine,
Within few minutes the rooms In
the upper stories were filled with smoke
and tenants began pouring down stairs
yelling ''firel flrel" When the flremen
arrived, the front windows to the base
Inent ypora emo ehad A., - 4. 49,. -,
ume OF smoke came pouring cut
completely envelopIng the building.
The fire then rapidly spread to the
walls and woodwork and burned its
way into the first floor and the walls
separating the main building from
storeroom on the south.
THE RUN.
1t was l0:45 this morning when the
always-startling "clangl" of the fire
alarm at station No / brought men and
horses TO their positions, and the en-
gines and hose carts were out upon an
urgency call In double quick time. The
call being from the business district
station No. 2, was at once notified and
the gallant fire laddies from the west
side came tearing up town to the as
sistance OF their comrades OF the main
station. The scene Of the confagration
was reached In splendid time and the
hydrant couplings made Ia an equally
rapid manner.
NO PRESSURE.
To the dismay of Chief Devine and
his men, however there was no pres
sure In the mains and the water slug
gisbly left the MOBILES and dropped but
a few yards away. Even with the en-.
CINE adding It's efforts TO the city pres
sure. only 80 pounds TO the square inch
was indicated upon the guage. As much
water as was available, however, was
turned into the smoke-laden basement
and the work OF reducing to control the
dreaded element of destruction was
family begun. After notification to the
water department the pressure in
creased and greater encouragement
came to the flremen in their work.
CLOUDS OF SMOKE.
In order to get at the fire the front
and rear windows OF the basement were
opened and four streams were turned
into the point where the fire was To-
Gated. Immediately dense banks OF
smoke Issued from these openings and
the firemen were almost suffocated
while at their work Down the cellar
steps went the boys, however. and they
stayed by their posts, coming to the
open air only when their lungs would
stand the awful ordeal no more. One
at a time the men sought the much
needed relief AMI after short breath
N no 10 flglr os.f
task.
FIRE BREAKS THROUGH.
Notwithstanding the tons of water
that had been hurled into the basement
flames broke into the second story al
1876 and II was then realized that the
whole building was bound to go unless
through a miracle almost the flames
could be checked In their mad and
greedy rush OF destruction.
A LITTLE FURRY.
Then the occupants OF adjoining
buildings begun 70 lose hope OF their
property being saved and there was a
rush up stairways and into store rooms
10 save such valuable effects as were
readily portable Down came trunks.
clothing and all sorts Of cherished arti-
cles belonging 90 the roomers In the I'm
perial rooming house and preparations
were made to find new homes There
were plenty Of willing hands TO render
needed assistance but soon a guard was
stationed al each door 10 prevent people
from endangering their lives from suf-
location
DANGER LINES.
Now II was found necessary TO in
crease the space covered by the danger
lines. and officers were Instructed TO
drive the crowd back farther away from
the building. Chief Hilton personally