The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-09-01
FIRE DESTROYS
FRUIT CANNERY.

about half this sum covered by insur
ance. The box factory of the company
located to the west Of the cannery, was
spared.
Stranahan 4 Bagley, iobbers for the
Wasco Warehouse and Milling Co., lost
a couple cars OF flour and feed stuffs, in.
cluding their warehouse valued at $1,000
with $400 insurance
The railroad company suffered the
loss Of the old warehouse adjoining the
store rooms of Stranahan & Bagley. A
Southern Pacific car, loaded with drain
tiling from McMinnville, was also de-
stroyed. The tiling was little damaged.
Some OF the rails on the siding were
badly warped, and the burning Of a tel.
egraph pole interrupted wire service for
several hours.
The exact origin OF the fire is un-
known. Glen Fabric, bookkeeper for
the Davidson Fruit Co., seated on the
porch of the Mount Hood hotel, was the
first man to notice smoke issue from
the upper windows of the cold storage
rooms. He Immediately gave the alarm
of fire and started for the office, where
he met Mr.. Davidson and Mr. Huxley.
Together they ran around to the ware.
house, only to find the building so filed
with smoke that it was impossible to
get hose into the building.
The flames appeared to be coming up
the elevator shaft Axes were secured
and the bridge between the cannery and
the warehouse was cut away in an effort
to stop the spread of the flames. Water
was turned onto the burning building
from the fire hose in the cannery, but
the supply of water was too light to be
effective. The fire soon communicated
with the large building of the cannery
and the implement ware rooms, and in
a very few minutes all was total loss.
With the assistance of citizens, all the
wagons and buggies in the warehouse
were removed into the street and saved
from the fire. Some of the machinery
OF the canning plant was also removed.
All the books, papers and accounts we're
secured from the office. A few cases of
fruit jars and tins were taken out, but
the boxes took fire, and the turning on
of water cracked most of the glass.
Joe Wilson, 0. B. Hartley and others
labored faithfully in showing the freight
cars on the siding to place of safety.
A dozen or more cars were saved i'll this
manner.
Bert Kent climbed to the top of the
Gerdes rooming house and assisted ma
terially in saving this building. A hose
from the Mount Hood hotel was also
brought into play, and a good stream of
water was poured onto the Gerdes house
and the o. r. & N. depot. George T.
Prather climbed to the top of the depot
and fought the flames unaided for some
time: 1T got pretty hot there, he says,
but he kept stream from the hose GO
ing, and the sparks that would alight on
the roof were soon extinguished.
q. l.. Gilbert of the Mount Hood
house was nervous as he watched the
red flames. When he made the repairs
to his hotel this summer he put a reel
OF Finch fire hose on each floor of the
building and arranged with the water
company for a two-inch reserve pipe
down Oak street. This bit of precau-
tion did as much as anything to save
the hotel, the Gerdes house, the depot
and all the buildings in the east end of
the city.
A heavy rain Saturday night and
Sunday morning had made everything
damp, and the fact that what little
breeze there was came from the south
west, contributed toward keeping the
fire within its original territory. The
green oak trees at the east end of the
Davidson block helped, too, in prevent
ing the flames from leaping to the near
by buildings. The oaks were badly
scorched, as were the cottonwoods to
the north of the railroad track.
The cry of fire spread quickly, and
the smoke and blaze of the burning can
merry attracted the whole town. Alarge
crowd had soon collected, and every few
minutes it was augmented by RELAYS
from the country. The flames made
bright light that showed up plainly
rom the country to the south, and it
gave the impression that the whole
town was ablaze. Many farmers hitch
ed up and drove rapidly to the city,
some of them coming all the way from
The Crapper neighborhood.
AS soon as the fire was discovered the
livery stables began turning their horses
INTO the street and pulling the hacks
and other vehicles to places of safety.
The streets the next morning presented
J strange appearance filled with wagons,
buggies and hearse. The Transfer Go.
1rove several of their teams with Office
fixtures to the river beach.
Stored in the basement of the ware
louse of the Davidson Fruit Co. were
lbout 10000 apple boxes, says Mr.. Dav-
dson, and about $4,000 strawberry
rates. The berry crates were consumed |
before the walls OF the building began |
o tumble, but the tons of apple boxes |
furnished fuel for the fire all night |
through. On this same ground floor
vas a carload or more of vinegar and |
'lder in watts and barrels. Next morn |
ng nothing remained but the iron |
hoops OF the big watts and barrels. Great |
1lles OF tin cans and glass jars formed |
,art of the debris.
In the shipping warehouse and cold |
forage rooms were several carloads OF |
AIMED fruit. The heat would expand |
he tin cans to the bursting point, and |
he noise from the explosions resem-
'iSu SohhOhaelAhs throughput GDe nlgnJ |
md far toward noon of Monday morn.
ng. The cans would at times shoot
hundred feet or more into the air. Mr.. |
Davidson had just the day before sent
'ut couple cars Of fruit, and will be
hat much ahead.
The Spokane flyer was delayed in
,assing the fire burning brightly on
10Th sides of the track. For 20 minutes
II more the railroad men examined the
racks and figured how to pass through
he flames without injury to the cars.
Mr.. Davidson wishes through the
ilacier to express his thanks to the
'eope of Hood River who so kindly as
listed the Davidson Fruit Co. on the
light of the fire. Mr.. Davidson feels
cry grateful to all who lent their assist
nee.
The Davidson Frut Co. will have
offices in Joe Wilson'S ware
lOuse, until the building of Charley
Temples on Oak street, formerly occu-
lied b. the Hood River Real Estate and
Exchange Co. can be moved to vacant
Ot on the Davidson block. Page & Co.
f Portland have loaned the use of their
warehouse for storing the implements
nd wagons.
Mr.. Davidson is unable at this writing
n oiva ant anvtbinu onncarninu bis |