The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-11

by the stiff west wind that was
/ rising with the increased heat, and
/ 1t looked as if every building on
! the corner wouId be swept before
were carried high into the air and
dropped like hail upon the tops OF the
other buildings. The heat was so in
/ tense from the Atlas building that the
buildings surrounding it were smoking
and several lines of hise We're kept busy
pouring water upon their walls.
1t was almost an hour after the fire
! started that the second engine vas got
1 ten into working order. The tower lad
der was raised and a line of hose was
run to the top of it. This was kept
| playing on the burning interior of the
Atlas block and two lines of hose were
kept playing on the side walls from the
Salt Lake hardware store and the D. II.
| Walker block. The water offered no
check to the progress of the flames, ard
about o'clock the Salt Lake hardware
store burst forth into flames. The fire
seemed to start from the center of the
building and overspread the whole
place in an instant. Several lines Of
hose were turned upon the building but
they afforded little check to the prog
ress Of the flames.
From the rapidity with which the
fire spread through the Atlas block the
building must have been very dry In
fact it burned like creased woo$- Be
fore the fire had been in progress two
hours the place had been Quilted The
floors fell down into the cellar and the
four walls enclosed a boiling cauldron
OF flames. In an effort to keep the sur
rounding buildings from catching fire,
men were put upon the tops of them
with garden hose and hand extinguish-
ers. and they fought through smoke
and flame that was almost unbearable.
D. F, Walker Building Saved.
The fact that there was a double wall
between the Atlas block and the D. F.
Walker block which is fire-proof was
all. no doubt, that prevented the whole
corner from being in flames before the
fire had been in progress for an hour.
The flames leaped all around this build
ing, and several times it was thought
that 1t was going, but up TO a late hour
the firemen had managed to keep it
safe. Office renters in the building be-
heved it was going, and dozens of men
were quickly set to work getting things
OF value out of the place
on the other side of the burning
building the same activity was going
Oh. Although the wind blew the flames
eastward towards the big buildings on
the corner, the heat fro mthe crumbiing
block was so great that the buildings TO
the west smoked. The water that was
thrown on their walls seemed to have
no effert
At a. m. the top floor fell with dull
report. which sounded like the distant
boom of heavy cannon. Ten minutes
later a large section of the rear walls
fell Oceans of flame shot westward
against the Central block in which the
salt Lake hardware store is located.
This was followed by a roar like 2 hat
terry of Gattling guns. Two streams
We're turned on this building, but they
seemed to have little effect on this
surge of flame.
Fighting From Central Block.
Nearly all of the offices and rooms
were cleared of their vaIuabl as II
seemed impossible to save this building.
There were some roomers in this block.
but most of the apartments were used
Tor offices Every window which gave
way in the Atlas building added to the
draft and the front hall doors. as thev
swept open. would act like a colossal
oeiows, while the rush of air drove the
names out Of the side of the building
In great pillows. One body of fremen
Kept two streams playing on the burn
ing block from the roof of the Central
oiock, but their danger was increased
by a quantity of powder which was
said to be IN the building.
To add to the trouble the wind. which
had been easterly. showed signs OF
cna- Sing its course. and occasionally
carried the sparks southwark. Several
times u made a complete turn to the
west and drove the firemen from their
position on the roof of the Central
block
The Atlas block. which was formerly
used as theatre and known as the
W alker opera house. was burned in the
ran of 1899. When rebuilt the floors
We're divided into offices. At 4 O'Clock
the fire seemed to be at its heighth.
Great sheets of flame were shooting in
the air, and the building was a gigan-
tic torch. The wind filled the air with