The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-27
COAL CHUTES
ARE BURNED
Fire at Rio Grands Causes Large
Loss.
FlREMEN'S HARD FIGHT
TORCHES USED BY ITALIANS
STARTED THE BLAZE.

About half of the coal chutes in the
Rio Grande yards and four cars Of coal
were destroyed by fire early this morn
ing. Several hundred tons of coal
stored 10 the chutes were entirely CON
suined. The loss ON property and coal
VIII amount TO several thousand dol
lars.
Quick work on the part Of the -ail-
road company's fire brigade and the
/ CITY department saved the remaining
chules from destruction A heavy rain
mat began TO fall just after the fire
started tended also to keep the flames
from spreading and causing probably a
much larger damage. The fire is SUD-
posed 20 have started from a torch used
Dy italian employees who were filling
the chutes.
shortly after midnight the men I'm
lsned their work. leaving all the bins
lul or coal and four loaded cars stand
ing on the switch to the east of the
lohg building. The men had been using
loicnes az their work and, it is SUD
posed, that one of these careiesslv
dropped or set too near the wood start
cd the flames. When the fire was dis
covered about I O'clock there appeared
TO be only a small flame I'm the roof
near the southwest corner Of the build
ing. Waterman NaylOr, who made the
discovery, Immediately sounded the
alafm az the shops and the hose wagon
was run out. Then an alarm was sent
IN 10 the fire department. When the
taHroad hre fighters reached the coal
Sheas the flames had spread an along
me roof Of the building and a stiff wind
from the west blew the blaze over the
building. A stream of water was turned
on the fire Immediately, but II seemed
10 have no effect upon the burning
wood and coal AS the wind rose the
names grew more fierce until thev en-
wrapped the whole building and Iapped
over on the four loaded cars. When the
hre department reached the scene the
sheds were a long bank of raging
names. The whole south end was like
a furnace.
In an effort TO save the cars Of coal.
a switch engine coupled on and ran
them down the track the distance of a
plock. Two lines of hose were turned
upon these and three streams Of water
were set playing upon the burning
sheds BY this time. though, the fire
mad taken good hold on the coal. and
the water seemed to have little effect
BY concentrating the lines upon the
north end the fire in the roof was ex-
tinguished and the flames were con-
fined to the south portion A heavy
rain began falling and this helped TO
check the spreading Of the flames
which for a time threatened 20 spread
towards the shops. The burning mass
was so hot the firemen could hardly
get close enough to open the Chutes and
let the coal out. but this was finally
accomplished and much of the coal In
the north part was saved In this man
ner. Water seemed to have no effect
upon the roaring furnace at the south
end. and by 2 O'Clock some six or eight
chutes had been practically consumed
coal and all. At o'clock the fire was
still burning, but if was under control
and the fremen were of the opinion
that they could save the north half Of
the sheds
The four cars moved down the track
burned fiercely. Flames shot high into
the air and lighted M the whole sur
rounding vicinity. The cars were a
total loss. The total damage could not
be ascertained accurately.