The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-12

siderable circulation and was taken I'D
by the officials. An investigation was
made. but as yet nothine~ has been
discovered TO back up the theory The
[ hour of the night when the fire stared
ana the rapidity with which it spread K
before it was discovered are about The
only grounds upon which the theory IS
based.
DR.. H. S. Scott, who had a marrow
escape from perishing in the cOnfasra-
ton is one of those who are nciinei
10 believe the incendiary theory. Dr..
Scott stated that at the hour Of. tEs
night when the fire started there were
no small fires of any kind that could
have caused the big fire
Then, too said he, ''the fire stared
so mysteriOusly and spread through
the building so rapidly that il looks IS
if there was something wrong some
where.
DR.. Scott knew of no motive for in
cendiarism unless some fire hend with !
| a real or imaginary grievance set tas
fire for vengeance.
Investigation Is Made.
The theory was given good deal az
credenCe and some high ofneiais were
of the opinion that that vas tha ex-
PLANTATION of the eouf7agration that did
so much damage. The officers we've
directed to investigate the matter tkor-
OUghly, and several of them spent the
day trying to find something thar
D
doing such a deed They were uEabls.
however. to discover any such motjFs.
While this theory caused consIder2bls
talk on the streets. Chief Devine OF tie
fire department and others interes-Ad
in the burned building laughed At T.
Chief Devine said that he felt con-
WINGED that the fire was not the work
of an incendiary. for there was no mo-
tive for incendiaFism-
There was nothing in the building
~ E.srrs r-r-~
/ said he, and it is not probable that
any one would start such IRE with
out a motive for doing So
". E. Lake. who is superintendent
of the Atlas block. does not bellev=
that the fire was of incendiary Origin.
h stated yesterday that there was alb
solutely no reason to believe any s0cn
theory.
cot course" said he, the cause II +
the fire is unknown but il is all fool
ishness to believe that any one would
deliberately set fire to such building.
for there would be nothing 10 gain BY
such an action. None of-IfS-Eyh' ,hs5sseA
investigated the fire 80 far rs We ran.
believe there is anything in the i4cen-
Many~0ther Theories. y
Besides this theory there are several
others. ali d. which are plausible ana
might easilyi have furnished the origin
for such a tonfiagla ton One of ne
most reasondb le is suggested BY H. II.
Noss, the colerSd janitor Of the build
ing. His theory IS that the nre was
started by 81 match carelsssly thrown
into the elevator shaft he states that
/ as there is 90 night Waterman in the
building. trah-ps, without places 10
sleep. sneak into the building IN the
night and cuddl cup by the radiators
which furnish them warm resting
places for the night.
1t is his belief that some tramp sleep-
ing by the radiators near the elevator
shaft, possibly lighted a cigarette and
carelessly threw the match over in the
/ elevator shaft. The shaft runs down
into the engine room in the basement
In this room, according to his state
ment. there was a pile of engine waste
which is nothing more than shredded
rags soaked with oil The match, he
thinks, fell among tins highly iadam-
mable material and the FIRE was started.
| The elevator shaft, acting as 4 nUe,
would draw the flames I'D 10 the top
and spread them through the attic be-
tween the ceiling and roof This the
! DRY is accepted as most likely one
| by the fire department officials.
Faulty Electric Wires
Another theory is that the fire started
/ from the electric wires in the base
ment It has been learned that the
basement was filled with innUmsrabie
wires that ran TO the distributing boxes
/ LIGIG anu LACA A4NA-AE4 UuL LUZ LAt- I'd
riOus parts Of the building. It IS 5ey
/ leved by some that the wires were ~
some way shOrt-circuited by crcesif
and a flame was started that qIiF1y
/ ignited the oily material in the boiler
room and extended TO the elevator
shaft This theory is also given con-
siderable cre6ence-
There is still another theory that the
/ fire started on the fourth floor in some
/ of the Offices caused probably by
match or cigar stump carelesSiy thrown
/ on the floor
There is considerable dispute as 70
/ where the fire originated Some con-
I tend that it started IN the four5h story
of the building, While others who were
/ the first on the scene assert that it
/ originated in the basement and spread
TO the top Of the block Those Nho
contend that the fire started IN the
top story base their belief upon The
I fact that the flames were first discoc-
cred there and that the IRE RACED il
I that part for some time before the
flames manifested themselves from be-
[ low.
Where the Fire Started.
Fire Chief Devine said he was IN
! able to tell just where the fire had org
/ mated, but from what he observed
when he reached the building he
thought it had started IN the top
story.
1T was burning fiereely there p said
/ he, when we reached the place, ard
4 the flames appeared TO be all in the
/ top and back of the building
Parties who were in the building al
/ the time the fire was discovered say
that the flames proceeded from the
! basement first One of these parties
stated that he was on the third dosr.
when he smeiled smoke and stared
down.
las went down the stairs. said he.
Il could see the flames shooting nm the
/ elevator shaft from the basement
/ The theory is that the IRE Starting
/ in the basement was drawn II The eie-
vator shaft and sucked directly 10 the
roof, where, Of course. it aa1 mo- ar
and was drawn up 10 the attic. The
! flames. of course, soon OuSsr through
and more air being given tie flames
they ragged fereely in the TOP. RE
/ flames in the basement being SIN 1rh-
cred for lack OF air were held in check
/ for some time until the 7oor vas
burned through. Then tne- bu-st
forth and began to eat thesr- VA up-
ward. Persons on the OUTSIDE If the
building could see the flames m the
/ basement before they brr-t through
4 the first floor and before sae ton foor
4 IN