The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-09-02
A Large Part of Corvallis was Seri
ously Threatened. ~

Corvallis assumed a metropolitan
aspect Sunday afternoon in strong
contrast to its usual sabbath quie-
tude. A thousand Portland excur-
.sionists on the streets, many OF
whom skurried hither and thither
in the hope of finding a wet goods
dispensary where their appetites
might be accommodated, created a
scene which only a Portland excur-
sion can produce. Soon after the
departure of the train at 4 O'Clock.
and when quiet had been restored,
the clang of the fire bell was heard,
and another scene of confusion was
enacted. When the inhabitants
emerged from their homes column
of flame could be seen shooting up
wards from the block bounded by
Second, Third. Adams and Jefer-
SON streets. Ats the time of the
alarm there was considerable breeze
from the west, and the impression
prevailed that the entire block ex-
cept the Burnett and Farra brick
buildings would be destroyed, and
it was considered fortunate if the
flames did not spread to other blocks.
The FIRE had started in an old barn
Just across the alley from the Wine
gar feed barn. 1t was entirely en-
ve1oped in fame when the alarm
was given and by the time the fire
apparatus was on the scene the fire
had spread to the rear of the wood
en- business houses facing Second
street. One line of the hose was
laid from the bank corner and an
other from the Congregational
church hydrant. By the time the
fremen were ready to turn on the
water the water works were prepar-
ed to pump into the mains and two
good streams were soon playing on
the fire. A quantity of uticoupled
hose lying at the incline at the en-
gine house was gotten together as
quickly as possible and reeled. The
hand engine was set at a cistern
near the scene of the fire and third
stream became available.
In the meantime goods were hasti-
ly removed from the burning build
ings and from those in imminent
danger. Both hremen and volun-
teers worked heroical1y wherever
their services seemed necessary, and
there was many a Sunday suit al
most ruined by the saturated debris.
In probably forty minutes after
the alarm was given the. fire was
under control, but the neighbor-
hood presented a remarkable scene
OF wreck and ruin. Every conceiv
able sample of merchandise from
the ponderous safe or piano TO the
airy piece of millinery was thrown
into the street in a confused mass
extending from Jefferson street to
Madison. There lay the contents
OF a second hand store, two millin-
cry shops, a bicycle store and a |
feed and grocery store. Jake Blum
berg's junk shop was in the danger
limit, but he ihconsiderately refus-
ed to allow his stock to be moved
for the sake of adding interest to
the street display. @
During the progress of the fire
Mr.. J. c. Young's residence was
ablaze several times as was also
Winegar's feed stable and an ad-
joining barn. A westerly breeze
carried the embers Out and against
the water tower, and that structure |
took fire in seven places. But for
the vigilance Of residents toward |
the river, several homes would have |
been destroyed.
The most plausible theory of the
cause of the fire is that a number
Of young men from the excursion |
party having been seen to emerge
from the barn where the fire origin
ated, it is probable that one of them
cast aside lighted cigar, /
or match, and that it /
may have required a considerable
ength of time to break out into the /
lame which was first discovered.
Two or more parties saw the young
men in the immediate vicinity.
Owners of buildings destroyed or
partially burned are Mrs. Mil1ie
Smith, whose loss will approximate
$500; Vim. Groves, $42o; Mrs.
frankie Helm, $500. Insignificant
lamage to other houses will make I
he loss on buildings s., 500. There
vas no insurance on any of these
10 far as known. Losses on stock
~ fire water and removal are about
IS follows: E. E. White. second
land goods. 800, insured; J. K.
Berry, bicycle store, 500, no insur-
lnce; the Misses Johnsons, millin-.
ry, $25, uninsured; E. J. Dunn.
rrocerv and rom mission store SsoO