Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-09-12
IDAHO FALLS IS
SWEPT BY FIRE.
Business Section Nearly Wiped
Out by Big Blaze Last
Night.
LOSSES MAY REACH 100000.
Consolidated Wagon & Nachinc Com
pany Bears the Bunt Of the Dam
age-0thers Eit Hard.
Special to the "Nevs")


special to the "NewsD
Idaho Falls Ida, Sept. i2-Thc hro
which broke out last night at . O'CLOCK
and burned through the main business
blocks OF this city, was finally brought
under control at o'clock this morn
ing. A fierce wind from the wes
famed the flames all night and droy,
them from block to block until sever
square blocks In the heart OF the city
are now IN ruins
CITIZENS PoWERLEss.
Il seemed to be a foregone conclusion
that the city was doomed when the
flames took hold Of the large retail
stores Of The Consolidated Wagon &
Machine company as the citizens were
powerless TO prevent the spread Of tho
flames IN any way The water from
the canal which was the only avail.
able supply is turned On and the
helpless crowds could do nothing but
watch the flames HEX mp building az,
ter building while they made desperate
efforts TO remove what property could
be easily carried The loss viii, II ls
estimated here, reach mt least
100000 with bat O small percentage
insured although no definite figures
have yet been complied Practically
every building between the railroad de-.
pot on the south to the river ON the
north was destroyed The principal
loss was suffered by the Com
solldated Wagon and Machine
company Their retail store and
lumber yard was completely de-
suoyed, only the Office records being
saved, These were rescued by employees
before the flames struck the building,
TRAMPS STARTED BLAZE.
The fire started In the Butte cafe a
small restaurant and bakery a block
below the Consolidated Wagon stores
It Is supposed 10 have been caused by
uamps smoking IN Il pile Of shaylngs
Dehlnd the bakery After consuming
me cafe, the fire spread from store 10
store untll u reached the Consolidated
wagon buildings The small frame
Dulldings which comprised the burning
district up to this point were separated
nom This big structure by brick store.
but the fierce wind drove the flames
around ms building and over it, to the
stores beyond.
BOOKS SAVED.
Manager Wright Of the Consolidated
wagon company then bent his atten-
tons to saving the office property with
lhe result that the records were re-
moved before the building fell in. The
IRE spread across the street TO the lam.
Der yards and warehouses of the
consolidated Wagon and Machine co.
ana completely destroyed them, II
then Followed the direction OF the wind
TO the river where it burned itself out.
HEAVY LOSS.
The loss to the Consolidated Wagon
and Machine Co would have been mnch
heavier had II not been for the fact
that they have three separate plants
ana much Of their stock was in one
OF these-a warehouse situated al the
corner OF Capital and Railroad avenues
rms structure was untouched The i'm.
surance ON the lumber ward was he
tween $4,000 and $500. The companv
carried a total Of $4,000 insurance nm
me Two other places. but how II is d.
Flued between that which is burned
ana that which Is saved IL Is imposJ-
Ole as yet to say. II seems certain
however that The value OF the goods
actually destroyed was from az 6O0 IN
wv OOO' although the exact amount
WIN nor be known for some time yet
General Manager Geo 4. Odel was
wired for last night and Is on the
ground today. taking care of the com.
panys interests.
OTHER LOSSES.
Other business firms that suffered
were
Mortar plant completely destroyed.
Gregory bakery, partially damaged.
Payne drug store. damaged
Johnson & Catmul, gents furnishings
totally destroyed,
Goldwaters clothing store. damaged.
Ralph Wills livery stable, com,
pletely destroyed.
Times building damaged
Henry Nangle, blacksmith shop, CONF
pleto loss.
owl saloon, damaged.
Frank Wilbur clothing store, total
loss.
Jackson's drug store, damaged.
Matt Lafouche, store, complete loss.
Cutter barber shop. complete loss.
Idaho meat market, complete loss.
Johnson harness shop damaged.
FIRMS THAT ESCAPED.
OF other concerns In which Salt Lake !
capital Is interested the u. C..
NJ !. escaped untouched, and |
the DinWoodey Furniture store
received but slight damage, The
Wright Mercantile company received |
a bad scorchIng but It's stock was |
not damaged The Cotton Lumber
company lost its entire stock, and many
small firms suffered complete or par
ual destruction
The fire was watched by practically
every resident IN town, who one and an
seemed poWerless TO help stem the
flames The flames eventually practI-
rally burned themselves out although
ibis afternoon the .charred ruins are
smouderlng and bursting into html
blaze. but all danger is thought to be
over
While the calamity comes as a great
blow TO Idaho Falls, 1t might have been
worse had the wind shifted. The local
IRE brigade, assisted by every available
man IN the city worked hard but no
help was solicited from surrounding
Towns
The merchants who suffered are this
afternoon making preparations 10 carry
ln business ana rebuild.
SAW THE FIRE