The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-10-03
TWO FIRES At ONE TIME
IN THIS CITY LAST NIGHT.
ONE AT 4 W. YAKIMA, ONE AT 4O5 S. SECON
Former Caused Loss of Something Like $1,000
Building Belonged to North Coast Rail
road..-Insurance Very Small

Two fires going at one and the
same time is rather an unusual ex-
perience in any city. 1t is something
that is not known to have ever taken
place in this city, until last night,
when the building at No. West
Yakima avenue. occupied by the
South Second street owned by DR..
G.. B. Duncan. burned at the same
time, the two alarms being turned in
about 1890. The efficiency of the
fire department was never better IL
Illustrated than on this occasion, nor
was the need of better facilities for
meeting such emergencies ever more
clearly shown. 1t is due to the hard
work on the part of the boys, and
the capable management on the part
of Chief Hauser that lumber yard
and several store buildings were not
burned.
Fire destroyed barns and other
property owned by DR.. G. b. Duncan,
A. E. Elliot and Paul Kruger on
South second street to the value of
$1,000 OF this 5000 worth is cover
ed by insurance.
About ten o'clock last night Mrs
Duncan was awakened by the bark
ing of the doctors dog to discover
the barn at the back of the lot par
TALLY enveloped in flames. She at
once aroused the doctor, who turn
ed in an alarm and then proceeded
~ 10 OF tn htc IN
the spread of the flames. His efforts
were unsuccessful, however. 7ghd be-
fore the department arrived the
flames had communicated to the shed
next door, in which was lot of har-
ness and spraying machinery owned
by Paul Kruger, and had jumped
across the alley to A. e. Elliot's barn
from where they rapidly spread to
the shed at the back of H. F. Thomp-
sons house.
The fire on Elliot's barn and
Thompson's shed was soon eXtin-
guished, but Duncan's barn was 4
complete loss, everything in it, in
Guiding a fine new operating table,
which had just been put in at a
cost of about $3.50, being burned
The origin of the fire is not
known, but DR.. Duncan firmly be-
lieves that it was set for the pur-
pose of robbing his house during the
excitement, for when the fire was at
it's height Mrs. Duncan was at
tracted by a noise in the house and
upon entering the front room dis
covered rough looking man prowl-
ing about in the darkness. AS soon
as the intruder saw Mrs. Duncan he
rushed from the door and ran across
the street, losing himself in the
crowd.
The loss sustained by DR.. Duncan
is about $3.50, but as he carried $500
insurance on the barn this will be
partly offset. A. e. Elliot's barn
was insured for 5000 which will
cover the damage done to that struct-
ure, but the household furniture in
the loft owned by Albert Holstein
will entail a loss of about $500. Paul
Kruger lost about 500 worth of har-
nesses and spraying apparatus and
the damage to H. F. Thompson's
shed will not exceed $50.
While the crowd was gathering
at the scene of the first fire, at 4O5
South Second, the second and greater
one was discovered A man named
Kelley. who was running east on
Yakima avenue, happened to glance
at the building in which the Olym-
pic dairy was located, and noticed
heavy smoke rolling from the chin
neys. This struck him as being so
unusual at this hour that he stopped
and investigated, and found that the
building was afire inside. He hasten
ed to the nearest fire alarm box. sent
in call and then went to the fire to
which he started The department
was soon on the scene, and got a
couple of streams of water to play
ing on the fire. The portion of the de-
partment was in a short time
strengthened by the arrival of the re-
mainder, when four streams played
upon the burning building until
every ember was drowned.
The fire was In frame building
at No. west Yakima avenue. The
building, which stood apart from any
other, was recently acquired, with
the lot it stood on. by the North
Coast railroad. 1t was practically a
total loss, and is understood to have
been insured for $400. It was occu-
pied by e. I. Peterson. proprietor OF
the Olympic dairy, who is said to
have had in the neighborhood of
building. He formerly carried large
stock of confectionery, soft drinks.
ETC., but this had been practically all