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

THE Atlas block, the ffve-story
building extending from 81 to IS
West Second South, was totally
destroyed by fire this morning. and at
an early hour threatened to destroy
every building on the conner. which is
IN the very heart of the city.
Starting in the basement, the flames
in an instant almost spread throughout
the entire building and Quilted it as il
it We're built of so much finder. The
flames ragged unchecked, sweeping hun
dreds o. thousands of dollars worth OF
property into humiliation. The build
ings on each side of the burning one
were in great danger and it was only
by the most persistent work of the fire.
men that any of them were saved.
The fire broke out about , o'clock
in the morning. At that time a Herald
reporter. who was passing along the
street, discovered a faint flame in the
window of the upper story. An alarm
of fire was turned it. 1t seemed only
an instant later when the whole build
ing was a mass of flames. 1t burned
fiercely and carried everything, from
the top to the cellar. before it.
Origin is Unknown.
The origin of the fire is unknown, but
1T is supposed to have started in the
basement. where the furnace is stu
ated. Lester Harrison, who entered
the building just as the fire was dis
covered. ran to the elevator shaft. and
at that time the flames were sweeping
their way up the flue afforded by the
shaft to the top of the building. AL
ready the basement was but a mass
of flames and tie fire was rapidly
spreading throughout the top floor and
the floors under it. The flames seemed
TO attack the upper story more fierce
ly at first and in a few minutes the
whole roof was a sea of flame.
The flames broke through the win
dows and wrapped themselves about
the building. When the fire depart
ment arrived on the scene, a few min
utes after the alarm was turned in,
the whole top of the building was prac-
tically gone. The fire in the basement
was confined within the walls and
three lines of hose We're run to the
tops of the d. +. Walker building and
the Salt Lake Hardware company's
building. The engine, owing to the
fact that it was out of working order.
could not be got into commission.
and it was half-hour before a stream
from il was playing on the fire.
single line of hose was attached to a
fire plug and the gravity pressure was
used, but the stream would not go
higher than the second story. way
below where the flames were eating up
the building.
Showers of Blazing Embers.
With the firemen unable to get wa
ter on the flames, the fire ate its way
unchecked along the koors and soon
the entire roof caved in with a crash
This afforded air for the flames be-
meath and they shot high into the air.
lighting up the whole city and send
ing a shower of spars over the brIsi-
less district that threatened to set
fire to every building in the vicinity.
BY this time the fire engine was
gotten into action and a line of hose
was run to the top of the Salt Lake
Hardware company's store. The brick
walls were in the way and the water
did no good at all.
In the meantime the greedy flames
worked their way down the building
The fire from the basement broke
through the floors and commenced its
climb upwards Through the windows
and out the doors the flames Tapped
their tongues. making il so hot that
the firemen could hardly get within
close enough distance to throw water
even on the basement portion.
Flames Work Together.
The wooden floor work and rooms
on the top floor we're roarine. mass
OF fame and in few minutes the
whole floor crashed down upon the
floor below This reduced the distance
between the two seats of the fire and
made the building burn faster Rv
this time the flames were tapping far
over the d. f. Walker building, famed