Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-07
MANY WR|THE IN
ROARING FLAMES
PORTLAND FIRE KILLS MAN
AND ENDANGERS SCORES
Massive Chamber of Commerce Takes
Fire on Top Foor-Escape Cut
Off-ThrIIng Rescues
BY Associated Press.

by Associated Press.
PORTLAND, Ore, April G. The
most spectacular fire which ever oc-
Cured in Portland destroyed the
eighth. the top, story of the Chamber
of Commerce building, this afternoon,
and was the indirect cause of the death
of Homer H. Hallock, right-of-way
agent of the Willamette Traction COM
pany, formerly for twenty-five years
an employe of the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation company. Mr. Hallock. who
was one of the best-known railroad
men in the northwest, was in the Com
mercial club when the fire broke out.
He seems to have become suddenly
mad, and despite the efforts of sew
eral men who strove to restrain him,
jumped down the light well onto the
roof of the central court, eight stories
below, and was instantly killed
D. L. Cappa, head cook of the Com
merc1al club, was seriously injured by
the breaking of a life net into which
he jumped from the eighth floor to the
street.
The property loss is estimated at
100000, partly covered by insurance.
The Commercial club, which occupied
the top floor, was completely gutted.
It's loss is estimated at about $35 900.
OF the balance of the loss, the dam
age to the building will he about $45,-
600 and the loss by water to the
tenants on the sixth and seventh
floors will be approximately $4,000
The building was recently purchased by
the United Railways company for
$750,000
Faulty Means of Escape
The fire broke out in the parlor of
the Commercial club from an unknown
cause, though it is said that the care
less throwing of a lighted match into
some tapestries was responsible for
the confagration. There is some
ground for the belief that defective
electrical connection may have been
the cause The fire spread with Won
derful rapidity, causing a panic among
the 100 employees of the 800 offices
which are in the building. A rush was
made for the elevators, and for the
narrow and wholly inadequate stair
ways and fire escapes with which the
building is equipped. The upper
works of the eleva tors were burned out
almost before the fire bells stopped
sounding, and the panic stricken peo-
pie congested the stairs and fire es-
capes.
On the upper floors a serious situa-
ton prevailed. Unable to escape by the
usual means of egress, men and wo-
men crept out through the windows on
to the wide COrnices, where they
awaited rescue. About fifty people, en-
ployes and guests were gathered in the
Commercial club when the fire broke
out. Many of these escaped down the
stairs or fire escapes. but perhaps fif-
teen sought refuge on the cornice of
the northwestern part of the building.
A suffOcating smoke swept over them,
hiding the little party from view, and
it was momentarily expected by the
breathless thousands of people below
that some would be overcome by
smoke and heat and lose their hold be-
fore the firemen could reach them.
Ladders Too Short
1t was by the most strenuous work
the fire department extension ladders
We're got into place, only to find that
they were of Inadequate length which
necessitated the splicing on of addi-
tional sections and the consequent loss
of valuable time. One by one the vic
Tins were finally removed from their
perilous position, several almost uncon
scious from excitement and the suffo-
eating heat and smoke.
Wien all had apparently been res
cued, mans head peering far over the
edge of the cornice of the roof was
discovered through the smoke, and fire
men once more assembled to the perilous
height When they finally reached him
he was in a state of collapse and in
another minute he would have plunged
forward into the street below. AS the
fremen came down the ladder, cheer
after cheer arose, ending in a tremen-
dous outburst as the firemen placed
their faipting burden on terra tirma.
The subject of this spectacular res
cue was Tom Richardson, manager of
the Commercial club, who had his
private office in the tower of the build
ing, and who was cut off from escape
by the flames. He was given medical
attention and was soon restored and
taken to his home.