The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-08-25
h|uR'S Mill BURNED.
Completely Destroyed Last
Saturday Afternoon.
LOSS S3o,0OO;;N NO INSURANCE,
Much Lumber Lost-New
a. Mill to be Built.
Mill to be Built.

Shortly after noon, last Saturday,
while a high wind was blowing from
the west, Robert Miller's sawmill
near Fish lake, and all the lumber in
the yards, were destroyed BY fire, en-.
failing loss OF fully $4,000. There
was no insurance carried on either
the mill or the lumber, so that the
loss is total. The lumber burned
amounted to 100000 feet stacked
closely along the track. The bunk
houses and a quantity OF logs were
all that escaped destruction. The
mill employed about twenty-five men
who are deprived OF work by the
disaster.
The story Of the fire is su bstantial.
ly about as follows: AT noon when
the men quit work for dinner hot
dre was left burning underline boiler,
so that aAguard was left at the en-
gine to see that all was safe. The
burner was fed with sawdust. Sud-
denly, at 1850 some sawdust In some
manner became ignited nearby, pre-
sumably from spark, and the strong
wind immediately famed it into
furious blaze which spread into the
upper timbers and roof OF the mill
with incredible speed. Although the
water was turned on quickly it was
not quickly enoughS Hand grenade
0re extinguishets were tried but 70
no avail. The fire swept all before
1t. The mill and Its entire equip
ment, and all the lumber except
some that was stacked tightly was
consumed. A call for help was re-
sponded to from Rathdrum by many
volunteer aremen who hastened to
the scene, but when they arrived the
huge piles Of lumber were already a
mass OF flames.
Besides the mill. two cars---a box
car and a fiat car-that had been side
| tracked only an hour before, were
also destroyed A locomotive from
Rlthurum dispatched to save them
arrived in time to see them Ia flames.
About 25 cords of wood stacked
! along the track and owned by w. J.
Rui ri uaro Il lcp btrnod
Pete DIETRICH. one Of the engine
ers, was badly burned about the head
and shoulders. While saving some
tools from the burning mill, be re-
membered that he had $50 in some
clothes in the bath house. The bath
house was already in flames, but,
dropping the tools, Mr.. DIETRICH
rushed into the burning building.
He had scarcely entered when part
nf the wall fell In, closing the door
way He sprang through the win
dow with his clothes on FIRE and
dropped into the ditch where he
saved himself by rolling in the water.
He failed to save the money.
The mill, which was destroyed, had
a capacity OF about 10000 feet Of
lumber per day and was equipped
with planer and edger. 1t Was
located about three miles east Of
Rathdrum, close to the railroad. It
was what is called q dry land mill
which accounts for it not being
insured. 1t was operated by steam,
water being brought from Fish lake
! by canal TO supply the boiler. 1t is
the third mill which Mr.. Miller has
lost by fire.
The foundation for new mill was
laid last spring, at the foot OF Fish
lake where Mr.. Miller owns the site
ON which ore of his former mills was
burned. The contract has already
been let for the construction Of ths
new mill and work will begin at once,
S. l.. Vidger has the contract.