Arizona republican., 1906-08-13

were playing on the burning building O. k. Bellas. the fire chief was on duty and in charge.
 It could be seen almost at the out ! set that the mill building was doomed and the attention of the department
 was directed to the surrounding prop erty. The mill building proper occu-
 pied space 50 by 12O feet. It was corrugated iron structure the only I frame in the construction being the
 beams necessary to support the iron pieces. There was. however. inside the
 building a large quantity of pine Ium-
 Der and shavings which fed the flames and increased their fury. While at their height d whirlwind was general ed within the building. which was by this time unroofed and made a yer itable furnace. roaring and blowing in the interior. At this time it was fear ed that the flames might spread to the business part of the town for the wind was from the southeast and blowing a small gale. The firemen worked in their fight to conquer the flames un- der conditions they have never before been called upon to do. for in addi- tion to the heat from the building there was also the heat of the sun. which was oppressive
 West of the mill about fifty feet stands a small frame house of three rooms. Srcupied by Mary Hines. q col ored woman. It was not though Dossi- ble that this building would be saved but the firemen realizing that the spread of the flames to it might mean the burning of the entire block. de- voted their attention to it exclusively The fact that the mill building was such frail structure and it's contents of such a highly combustibIe charac- ter no doubt had much to do with the flnal subduing of the flames for if soon burned itself out and the walls of iron rom which the support had been burned, fell in. in measure smotb- erlng the fire. At any rate it lessened the possibility of the flames spreading to po-nts outside the block It was but snort work to finally extinguish the flames after the walls had fallen and lhls was done without any of the ad Joinlng property suffering any dam age The property had been moved rom the Hines house at the begin ming of the fire
 The mill which was burned was punt about thirteen years ago by H. W. Ryder, the owner. The mill was formerly located on the west corner of 'he oIock' where the Phoenix hotel now HtdiuS. In the year 1893 it was nov eu to It's present location. The fire i9 Ihe Ilrst of a serious nature with which MT. Ryder has ever been af- Ilcted. He carried no insurance on the miI, the rate being an excessive one He valued the mill and its con tents at SbOOO The machinery con- sisted or a 3O-inch planer. buzz planer rip saw resawing machine. band saw Shapef' cutoff saw. mortising machine ana small turning lathe. In addition there were number of hand tools and aoout $500 worth of finished work for the John Casey residence now bufld- ing III the west part of the valley. The poiier was forty-hOrse power. and had been installed new about two veara ago. years
 The Ryder mill was one of only two '" ''e valley It gave employment to ten men during the busy season which ,S dpout hine months of the year. MT Ryder did not know yesterday or win i'o' hhoW until an examination of the SdlNaSe can be made whether the in SC ANDuAll or not If the neat or the flames was not great enough to bend the machinery or otb- erWlse affect it materially. he thorgh+ u likely he would at once rebuild The ilrenen are of the opinion that inc heaVy machinery was not materfaIIx, lJured- While the heat was fierce While it lasted. it's life was not of long duration
 VIII Clark, the engineer of the nIon+ u"uots the theory that 1t was a snarl, rom the engine which started tba co,, tiasratlon. On Saturday night he had oahked the fire in the engine and bod taken several buckets of water and thrown them about the cinder pit doo,, TOT the purpose of guarding agair,t d possibility of fire That the fire ,i"u us origin in the engine room Lhere IS little doubt by reason of tba iact that all who were on the soeno carry said the flames Were co,,,ir,o, rom that room. Among these u,oro City Marshal Kinney. He was in bis oII'ce at the time the alarm v,a, sounded. When he arrived at tba r,iII the flames were just burning tbei,. v-a,, rom the corner of the buildino vba-o the engine was.