The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-05-16
Go At 1t without Gloves.


Go At 1t without Gloves.
Editor Herald: In the language
of the legislatures, when they pass
a hurry-up law, this is an emergen-
cy."
The city council should take due
notice and govern itself accordingly.
After Mr.. Freeman addressed the
council Monday evening, both of the
daily papers made rather light of his
having urged that the railroad
freight warehouse, switch yards,
lumber yards, warehouses in which
are stored combustibles and explo-
sives, such as oils, gasoline, powder,
cartridges, etc, should right now,
ait this opportune time, be removed
outside of the fire limits.
Now if any citizen knows of any
city of consequence where these
classes of business are allowed either
in the fire limits or in the business
portion, we would like for them to
point it out.
In the first place the freight ware
house and switch yard are not only
nuisance when maintained at the
crossings of the principal streets, but
the continual switching Of freight
cars is a public menace which must
result not only in great inconveni-
ence to the people, but to accidents
and the loss of human life. And
moreover, the freight warehouse at
| all times contains more or less COM
bustibles, explosives, and goods that
are subject to spontaneous combus-
ton. ! claim that it is decidedly to
II, Interest of The :a.scai .4l1:i.
itself to have it's freight house and
switch yards not less than one mile
away from Yakima avenue And now
that the so-called Donald road has
formed junction with the main line
about that distance from the business
center, it would seem to be just the
right time to shift the freight busi-
ness to that junction. 1t is patent 20
e',ly observer that the Donald road
is a short feeder for the Northern
Pacific; the rails are about the right
weight for a street car track; and it
is said that the rails that are now be-
ing laid were formerly in the side
track of the Northern Pacific road.
The railroad company appears to
own nearly all of the land between
Railroad avenue and Selah sect;
and l submit the proposition that this
land can be sold at a high price,
and that land of less value can be
utilized to equally as good advantage
for commission houses in the neigh
borhood of the Donald junction.
The firms who have leased ground
from the railroad company between
the streets named would be better off
to lease lands at the junction.
Everywhere that explosives are
handled, city governments require
the warehouses to be placed beyond
the danger line, and powdc. maya
zines, oil tanks, ETC., are pushed clear
outside of the cities.
l do not know of single instance
i'm a well-conducted city where lum-
Der yards are permitted within the
fire limits.
The prevailing winds of North Yak
lima are from the northwest, and
there is no system of waterworks or
fire apparatus in any city in the
world that could stay the flames in
time of high wind if they get a good
start during a high wind, in the
northern or western part of this city.
1t is therefore the duty of the city
council, now that we have been
taught the very severe lesson of last
Saturday, to get up on its hind legs
and do what would be done any
where else when such an opportunity
offered, namely, regulate these things
which | have named as behooves an
intelligent and vigorous adminastra-
ton. What is the use oil talkin,
about moneyed men coming here to
build city so long as the whole ar
rangement for protection against fire
is upside down and backwards.
This very week is the time to act
and the city attorney should be au-
thorized to draw up one or more
ordinances to handle this question
without gloves.
The North Coast Railroad COM
pany complains that it is being held
up by property owners who ask hign
prices for lots in the business center.
IL would be the very best thing for
the city and for that railroad COM
pany for these prices to be made pro-
hibltory SO that the company could
not obtain site for the freight ware
houe and switch yard nearer than
one mile from the business center
II We have two railroads with ware
houses containing all kinds of ex-
plosiyes and switch yards operated
night and day these things become
worse than nuisance; and If we get
other railroads what a pitiable con-
diuon we will be in If we allow this
state of affairs to be compounded.