The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-07-27
BAD FIRE DESTROYS
PROPERTY WORTH $4,000
Entire Block Swept by Biggest Confa
grafton Ever Seen in North Yaki-
ma-Thirty-Four Horses Burned.

| 'Nh''h ~ 'h' oi'Sol 7Ntbl'S. thu btloi
the flames were entirely under control
$4,000 worth of property was destroye,
in block II. Almost the entire blocl
was wiped out and but for the efiicienc,
OF the new fire department differen
story might have been told. the losses
are estimated as follows:
Chamberlain Bros, proprietors of tn,
Wenas barn. about $500; no insurance
Loss on building. owned by Frank Sin
clair. $1,000.
| a. +. Narver. proprietor of Oregon
stable, loss Sl2,O0O insurance, $500.
| Mart Schichtl claims loss of $1,000.
House of ID. f. Lesh, occupied by j
b. Chamberlain. $500; no insurance
Austin property, loss 800.
Burton x Sells, blacksmith shop. loss
$1,000
The buildings occupied by zee Lung
were owned by Fred Parker and Frank
Bartholet. Loss not estimated but will
be about $1,000 each. zee Lungs los.
was about $1,000 He had no insurance
The corner store occupied by the Jap'
was owned by \. ID. Sloan and wa:
worta about $500 Loss of household
goods about $500
lucng Chong's loss was about $1,000
with no insurance.
These losses will foot up about $4,000
covered by insurance amounting tC
$500. leaving the net loss about $4,000
| All of the buildings were wooden struc
lures. very combustible. and it was very
hard to get any fire company to take
risk upon them, consequently the los
is much greater than ii would other
wise have been.
just how the fire originated is Il mat
ter of conjecture. 1t might have beer
due to a live wire; it might have beer
someone's carelessness. or il might hav,
been the work of an incendiary Up to
the time of going to press its origin re
mains mystery
| Two young men sleeping in the Ore
eon stables barely escaped with Their
badly burned So sudden was the lie
struction of the Oregon stables that
before the alarm had reached the fir,
department the building was practical
| ~ consumed
| The most awful incident conncctet
with the fire is the loss of "a head OF
fine horses. The animals died in theil
stalls. it being beyond all human power
to rescue them. Among the horses were
| two celebrated stations valued at $1,000
each. This loss was more depored by
the owner. a. +. Narver. tnan the bal
| ance of his losses combined.
The wind was blowing brisklv from
| the northwest when the fire started. but
luckily suddenly died down and this fact
| was of much help to the firemen. A
matter to be greatly deplored and one
| which caused much mfavorable com.
ment was the inability of tne firemer
W S'' ""''i vi course IL
wasn't the fircmen's fault. 1t is said
| that the telephone wire out to the pow
er house was down and communication
to 1t on that account was impossible II
is reported that the night man at the
power house is a new employee and did
not know about the private telephone
system connecting the power house with
the fire department. If there had beer
| sufficient pressure the fire might not
have reached the southern end of the
block IN which it was raging. 1t finally
became necessary to send a man on
horseback out to the power house before
the lights of the city were turned out
and before the required pressure was
put on.
Several hundred feet of the eitv's hose
was burned by the live electric wires
that everywhere retarded the gallant
work OF the iremen. When the fire be-
gan to gain Roadway in Chinatown and
was actually licking up the old frame
"uiiuihgs as though they were Georgia
pine knots. boxes of fire crackers and
torpedoes belonging to the orientals be-
! gan To explode so that the sleeping in
habitants of the city. who up To this
time knew nothing of the conhagration
were reused as ii by magic and in a
short time almost the entire population
had turned out to witness the spectacle
The livery barns of &. H. Linbarger
| and Dooley X Baker were only saved
from destruction by the untiring effort,
of the firemen. whose force was aug.
mented by the volunteer services of pri-
vate citizens. 1t was thought for a
while that Mart Schichtls carriag,
Snop and Mike Schorn'S paint shop. in
which was large consignment Of case