Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-09-10
SHORT LINES LOSS ENORMOUS.
All Its 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 en-
| ected a few years ago for II by Mr..
| John r. Dooly, representing an Ems
| lish capitalist named Menzie.
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 SUI
perintendent Il. s. 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, Superin-
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 TO make up q mod
ern and up-to-date railroad headquar-
a great many thousands OF dollars a
few years ago 20 furnish the second
floor OF this building which II occu-
pied In all its entirety.
When General Manager Bancroft
was seen on the ground today, recent
ly from the hospital and sick bed.
he said In answer 10 question: What
have we lost? Why everything that
we had We have not as much as
the scratch OF 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 to
enter. When asked as TO what the COM
panys total loss would be. Mr.. Ban
croft simply replied: 1T is too early yet
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 esu-
mate what Il has lost In this fire. 1t
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 beginning-reC
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 10 the company Is known
best 20 its officers who naturally do nor
care to discuss that phase OF the ques-
ton.
To illustrate how great the confagra-
ton was II need only be said that rem
nants OF the burned leaves OF Short
Line records were found as FAR east
today as the Holy Cross Hospital a
mile and half distant, extending up
into the Twenty-frst and Twentieth
wards, across the Capitol Hi. and
down the bench almost to the Warm
Springs. The fact Is. the afr was liter
ally hlled with these fragments OF
burned paper. Practically ali their
weight had been burned out and thev
Heated through the air as lightly as
feathers. The sidewalks I'm the business
district were. in some places. entirely
covered with them and many a pedes
trian In raising his hand TO ward on
a flying fragment would do 80 only N
rub II across HE face and cause hin,
20 look Ike a chimney sweep. much TO
the amusement ~ that portion OF the
crowd which had been fortunate enough
20 escape Ike experience.