Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-09-10
SHORT LINES LOSS ENORMOUS.
All It's Priceless Records and Fine
Offices Wiped Out of Existence.

No loss could be more complete than
| that of the Oregon Short Line Rail-
road company which had all Of its
offices In the building which WAS err
| ected a few years ago for II by Mir.
John Il. Dooly, representing an Ems
lish capitalist named Menzle.
The building contained the direct
ors room OF the company, the offices
Of Vice President and General Man
ager Bancroft and his clerical force,
the officers OF General Passenger Agent
Burley, and Chief Clerk Dan Spencer,
Acting Traffic Manager Schumacher
and clerks, the Offices OF General Su-
perintendent Il. $, Calvin, Assistant
General Freight Agent Reeves, Car
Accountant Hickey and force. Chief
Clerk Brewer and men, freight, claim
and livestock departments, dispatch
er's office, auditors Office, purchasing
agent, Treasurer Jenkinson, Superln-
tendent of Machinery and Motive
Power Dunn, craftsmen and clerks,
Resident Engineer Ashton, Chief Clerk
Crtzer and others.
The offices were all finely equipped
with the very best furniture and every
thing that went 10 make up a mod
ern and up-to-date railroad headQuar-
tiers. 1t cost the Short Line company
great many thousands OF dollars a
few years ago TO furnish the second
floor OF this building which 1t occu-
pied In all its entirety.
When General Manager Bancroft
was seen on the ground today, recent
ly from the hospital and a sick bed,
he said in answer to question: What
have we lost? Why everything that
we had. We have not as much as
the scratch OF a pen left. Everything
is gone; everything
And then he disappeared In the great
crush OF humanity that surrounded
the roped enclosure into which
no one except firemen. police
and newspaper men were permitted 10
enter. When asked as to what the COM
pany's total loss would be, Mr.. Ban
TO say. | do not know. You know as
much as do. AS have told you, We
have lost everything"
II would be difficult for any one out
side OF the Short Line company to esh-
mate what II has lost In this fire. II
had many very valuable records stored
In the different parts Of the burned
building upon which no money value
could be placed. They were records OF
the company from its beginnlng-reG-
ords which represented the company's
entire history and holdings. There Is no
Insurance or money equivalent that can
replace these. They are gone. and gone
forever. What difference their loss
will make 20 the company is known
best TO It's officers who naturally do NOT
care to discuss that phase Of the ques-
ton.
To illustrate how great the conflagra-
ton was IL need only be said that rem
nants OF the burned leaves OF Short
Line records We're found as far east
today as the Holy Cross Hospital. a
mile and half distant. extending 40
into the Twenty-first and Twentieth
wards. across the Capitol Hill. and
down the bench almost to the Warm
Springs The fact Is. the air was liter
ally filed with these fragments OF
burned paper Practically all their
weight had been burned out and they
fioated through the air as lightly as
feathers. The sidewalks In the business
district were In some places. entirely
covered with them and many a pedes
TRAN In raising his hand 10 ward on
a flying fragment would do 50 only 20
rub n across his face and cause him
10 look Ike a chimney sweep. much 10
thu amusement of that portion OF the
crowd which had been fortunate enough
TO escape Ike experience.