Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-09-05

Vi MILL Olly mas Deeu burning 1Or
several days, and the fire escap-
ing from there spread to the
woods along the track of the c.
& E. and yesterday afternoon at
mile post 122, this side of Gates,
burned large piles of railroad
wood belonging to the company.
Here also several small culverts
were burned and ties under the
rails were destroyed, temporarily
interfering with travel. A few
miles west of Mill CITY, in Linn
county, another slashing, large
one, was burned, and the fire
from this escaped and spread out
over a considerable territory,
burning railroad wood and large
piles of ties owned by the com
pany, doing heavy damage.
The fire also destroyed several
farm houses in the hills near Mill
City yesterday and the occupants
lost their all, escaping only with
their lives. The fire was not be-
lieved to be endangering the farm
property until a high wind came
up yesterday afternoon, when the
flames spread with alarming
rapidity, and the entire neighbor-
hood was called out to fight the
fire. It was then that the farm
houses in the woods in the track
of the fire were burned.
When the general office of the
Corvallis & Eastern railroad in
this city were informed of the
spread of the fire and the danger
to the company's property yes
terday afternoon, just after the
Corvallis train had left this city,
orders were sent to Corvallis for
the train, which usually remains
there until six o'clock, to at once
return to this city. Bridge Fore
man J. H. Stevens was in the
city, and he at once gathered up
the bridge gangs and section
crews from all along the road,
and the train running as an extra
east left Albany at Ago for Mill
City to fight the flames, all avail
able men employed by the COM
pany being taken along. The
engine on this train is fitted with
fire hose, and the run to Mill
City was made for the purpose of
using the engine as FIRE engine.
Water through the fire hose ap-
piled to the burning ricks of
railroad wood soon extinguished
the flames where they threateded
the road and a large amount of
property was saved in this way.
Mill City was not in any dan
ger last evening, though the fire
was less than two miles from the
sawmills and lumber yards, and
every precaution was taken to
prevent the flames reaching the
plant of Curtiss Lumber COM
pany. A telephone message late
last night from Mill City brought
the informrtion that the fire was
practically under control, and
though it was still raging, it was
thought that the danger from
further extensive loss was practi-
cally over.
It is stated that, as the fires in
both instances came from the
burning of slashings, prosecu-
tions may follow for the reckless
setting of fires, and if the parties
responsible for the fires can be
ascertained they will be prosecu-
ted to the full extent of the law.
Fortunate it is for them that no
human lives were sacrificed in
the fires.
Business on the east end of the
c. & z. Railroad was temporar-
lily tied up last evening, the
train from the front being on the
other side of the fire, and owing
to the burning OF some of the
cattle guards and culverts east OF
Mill City the train did not come
through on time, reaching this
city at one o'clock this morning.
AS the forceIof bridge carpenters
is at that end Of the line, tempo
rary repairs were promptly made,
SO that the travel was not inter-
rupted for long.