Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-26
Business Part Of Town the Scene
Of Disastrous Conllag-
ration.
FLAMES SPREAD VERY RAPIDLY
Estimated That Loss VIII Amount to
About $4,000 - Salt Lakers
Among tie Victims,
Especial to the "News,'Y

Idaho Falls, Idaho, Sept, 25--Hhe
most serious and destructive fire that
over occurred In this vicinity broke out
about $3.50 this evening in the drug
store belonging TO II, f. Payne In a
building owned by his father on South
Front street The connagration spread
with great rapidity In each direction
as the adjoining buildings were all
frame and strong wind was blowing
from the northwest. The water sup
ply was totally insufficient and the fire
department-if II is worth the name
was unable to cope with such a blaz-
ing mass, The flames leaped quickly
from building to building and the
sparks We're carried by the wind until
many of the houses In the southern part
of the town We're In great danger of be-
ing destroyed. But the residents OF
the Falls fought heroically TO prevent
the fire from spreading and hundreds
of willing hands were buslly engaged
In trying to stay the progress of the
flames OF course, they lacked In dis
cipline and leadership as well az water.
and for while the work of destruction
went on uldDateu,
PEOPLE CRAzED WITH FRIGHT.
The residents for blocks around had
hurriedly carried their household eff
fects into the streets, or carted them
away to places OF safety and women
and children almost crazed with fright,
were to be seen on every hand. There
was the usual crowd of onlookers, who
We're critioizing the work OF the fire
fighters, and saying, II told you so,
Idaho Falls would burn down some
day." The wind shifted more TO the
east and died down a little, and when
the stone building Of Mr. Sowarss ocru-
pied by Brand & Kuhn as d.saloon.
wns reached VI prevented the'furttier
spread of the fire eastward. Nothing
could stop the progress OF the flames
going westward until the corner oppo4
site the Brooks hotel had been burned,
but then the fire fighters gradually got
control Of the alarming situation, and
with the aid of a stone warehouse,
owned by Louis Elg, and occupied by
Geo, Brunt & Co. confined the fire to
the block on which 1t started
LOSS $4,000.
1t is estimated that the losses will
tween the following h. +, Payne,
Butte bakery, Dan Winkler's bowling
alley, Mr., Browns stationary and book
store Palmer & Smiths saloon Boston
store On. Levy, OF Salt Lake, proprie-
tori, Lee Ching, restaurant, Mrs. VIII
liams, !. X. l.. rooming house, Lyons
clothing store and Geo. Brunt & Co.,
groceries. Louis Elg owned the build
ings In which the last two firms did
business, and carried $1,000 insurance
Brunt h Co. carried $500 insurance on
their goods. Winkler had $3.50 poi-
cy.
outside of these. very few, If any,
were insured at all. The high rate of
insurance--l0 per cent--caused several
to carry their own risks, and some have
thus lost their all. However. the town
viii no doubt be benefited by having
substantial business blocks erected in
the place of the ruined shacks. No
serious accidents occurred although
there We're some narrow escapes from
injury. At midnight the flames were
not eXtinguished and the fire laddies
were still holding the little streams of
water over the ruins.