Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-10-19
The Long Expected Conagraon Occurs Last Friday Morning. The
Origin Of the Fire Is Unknown
Starts in the Arctic Hotel and Sweeps the Business District
of the City off the Map. Four Men Known to be Killed,
and There May BE More. Six Injured. Fire Limits
Established, and Everyone Pushing to Build Up Great
Aberdeen. Detailed List of Losses and Insurance.

October 16, 1908, will 90 down in his.
tory as Aberdeen's Black Friday, and
future events will be reckoned from the
day of the big fire. In the four hours be.
tween 9 a. m. and p. m. a raging fire
swept over about twenty acres OF the
most valuable aud busiest section OF the
city, destroying property valued at about
one-half million dollars.
The fire originated in the old Mack
building, on Hume street, that has
long been considered 80 dangerous that in
surance companies would not take risk
on it. Three inmates Of the building lost
their lives by the fire. Daniel Webster,
porter in Walkers saloon, jumped from
window, and was injured so that he
died at the Aberdeen General hospital
two hours later, and George Rolf, man
with one leg. who formerly kept cigar
stand at the Grand saloon, was burned
up in his room. Samuel Kirkup, vet
eran OF the Mexican war, was also burned
to death in his room, on the third floor
Several other roomers in the building are
missing, and may have persisted in the
fire.
In very few minutes after the fire
was discovered, the huge building, which
was three stories high, and contained
nearly half million feet of lumber, was
mass OF flames, and spread across the
alley to the building occupied by l.. w.
Walkers saloon, The wind throughout
the duration OF the fire was from the
southeast, but fortunately was not very
strong. The city Jail and fire head
quarters were the next to take fire, and
the flames spread rapidly in a north
westerly direction, after destroying the
entire block bounded by f, G, Heron
and Hume streets. By the most strenu-
GUS efforts the buildings on the north side
OF Keron street, between F and q were
saved, although on fire many times.
This saved much property on f ,Wishkah
and G streets, as we'll as the CONNER
cial block on Market street, the burning
OF which would doubtless have spread
the fire clear to the hills on the north
side Of town.
The brick block of N. G. kaufman
would have stopped the flames if they
had only been coming from the east side,
but the fire came at it from three sides,
and it succumbed, and but two walls Of
the structure were left standing. After
wiping out the building occupied by the
Smits Drug Go. and others, the flames
took fresh start, and, jumping across
the street, the Aberdeen State Bank was
soon in blaze. Continuing northerly
and easterly, the flames spread along
both sides Of Heron street to Broadway
and to Wishkah and Market streets. On
the north side OF Heron street, every
building from G to Broadway was wiped
off the earth, including the two banks,
VOLTS big dry goods store, and some Of
the best buildings and largest stocks Of
goods in the city. On the south side OF
this street, there is not building stand
ing from F street to Broadway, four
blocks, except those Of the Grays Harbor
Music Co. and the City livery stable.
The fire ran northerly on G street to
Wishkah, and jumped across Wishkah to
the dwelling Of w. B. Mack, which was