Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-25

Include All In the Town With Mill
lion Dollar Loss.

According to estimates by +. ID. KIM
ball Of Mccormick Il Co.. MI u. ".
Airs and others Interested In Mercur,
the losses will amount to from SSV0VOO
to s., 900, 900, and the insurance VIII run
from 80 to 40 per cent, The low insur-
ances are due, Il stated, to the nigh
rates owing to the hazardous FISK, ana
which deferred people generally IRON
insuring their property. II Is stated
that after the fire had started there
occurred three explosions IN
the Prebe building which
scattered burning material all
over that part Of the town, and
started fires In number OF other To-.
calitles In the thickly built up bust
ness district. II Is suspected that the
explosions were due TO gasoline or giant
powder, or both The flames spread
with great rapidly as all the buildings
were dry as finder. The fire depart
ment, aided by citizens generally, did
everything that was possible to stay the
flames, but II was no use, and ere II
was realized the entire business center
was In flames, and before long II be-
came apparent that the town as a whole
was doomed.
The connagration spread quickly to
the Union Mercantile companys large
building to the south, and then to Me-
Cornick's bank building. In the Preble
block were Roblnson's saloon, Steven
sons clothing house. the Pre-
BILE Office and a restaurant Then
TO the north were n dry goods house,
the old postonice building, Dr. Castle
mans Office and the Palmer hotel, kept
by NJ. 7. Germo formerly chief clerk
at the White House In TINS city. These
buildings were shortly all wrapped in
flames. Then across the street was the
Telephone companys building, the city
hall, and Chinese wash houses, Nc
Guinness store, a shoe store, Lufts
store, Chinese restaurant,th stationery
store of Woodruff Bros, Higgins two
story block, the Mercur Meat and
Grocery company. An these buildings
were presently enyeloped In flames.
Further to the south. across the street,
diyerging from the main thoroughfare
ware the Prosser House, Mahnkln's
stone store, a large frahe building va
cant owned by Berry Bros, and be-
yOnd these were a string of smaller
structures extendlng To lJohannesburg
To the right OF the Union Mercantile
luildlng was a string Of small build
ings, including restaurants saloons and
such, and across the street were half
dozen raloons, a two story vacant
block owned by Mr.. Caldwell, the
Mercur hotel, three stories high owned
by John Mcfarland, the old bank
building owned by Mccormick & Co.
and I'D Airs, restaurant building
owned by W. s. Mccormick & Co., a
'arge baking establishment. and a string
Of minor structures continuing down
the street. AS near as can be learned
IRON dispatches during the day, the
FIRE wiped out this part Of the town
from off the face of the earth, and had
taken TO eating up the resident parts
even extending TO the Methodist church,
It is stated, however, that the flames
failed to reach the depots, and that
none Of the mill properties were touch
ed. A special train over the Short Line
went down this afternoon carrying +.
d. Kimball. Fred Dern, G. Il. Airs, Mr..
Higglnbothem, Short Line officials and
other prominent citizens Interested in
Mercur.