The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-07
BIGGEST FIRE IN
PORTLAND HISTORY
Chamber Of Commerce Building
Burns, With Loss of
100000. j.!
HOMER Fl. HALI0Ck LEAPS
FROM WINDOW TO DEATH
Manager Tom Richardson Is
Rescued Just as Death
Is Near.

PORTLAND, Or, April 6.-The most
spectacular nre which ever occurred In
Portland destroyed the eighth. the top
story OF the Chamber OF Commerce build
ing, this afternoon and was the indirect
cause OF the death OF Homer III. Hallock,
right Of way agent OF the willamette
Traction company, formerly for twenty
Ave years employee OF the Oregon
Railroad and Navigation company at
Pendcton. Baker City and Umatilla. Mr.
Hallock, who was one of the best-known
railroad men in the Northwest. was In
the Commercial club when the fire broke
out He seems to have become suddenly
mad, and despite the efforts OF several
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.
Hurt in Jump for Life.
D. L. Cappa. head cook OF the CONNER
clal club. was seriously injured by the
breaking of life not into which he
jumped from the eighth floor TO the street
below
The property loss is estimated at 10000.
partly covered BY insurance The Com
mercial club, which occupied the top hoor
was completely guttcd. Its loss Is esti-
mated at about $500 OF the balance OF
the loss, the damage to the building will
be about $4,000 and the loss by water TO
the tenant on the sixth and seventh
floors will approximate $1,000. The build
Ing was recently purchased by the United
Railways company for $4,000
Cause Is Unknown.
The fire broke out In the parlor OF the
Commercial club from an unknown cause.
though II s said that the careless throw
ing Of lighted match Into some tapes
tries was responsible for the conflagra-
ton. There Ia solid ground for the belief
tnat defective electrical construction may
have been the cause. The fire spread with
wonderful rapid!ty, causing panic among
tne Loo employees of the 300
rush was made for the elevators and for
the narrow and wholly inadequate stair
ways and lire escapes with which the
OF tho elevators wero burned out almost
before the fire bells stopped sounding
and panic-strcken people congested the
stairs and fire escapes.
Situation Was Serious.
On the upper floors a serious situation
prevailed Unable to escape by the usual
means of e8resS, men and women crept
out through the windows onto the wide
cornices. where they awaited rescue
About fifty people, employees and guests,
were gathered In the Commercial club
when the nre broke out, Many OF these
escaped down the stairs or fire escapes
but some sought refuge on the cornice
OF the northwestern part of the building
a sunocating smoke swept over them
hiding the lttlo party from View, ond It
was momentarily expected by the breath
less thousands OF people below that some
would be overcome by smoke and heat
and loose their hold before the flremen
could reach them
Hard Time for Firemen
1t was by the most strenuous work that
fire department extension ladders were
got Into place. only to find that they
were OF inadequate length which necess-
tated the splicing on of additional
sections and the consequent loss OF
valuable time. ono by one the victims
were finally removed from their pcrilous
position. several almost unconscious from
excitement and the sufocatlnG heat and
smoke.
In Imminent Danger.
When all had apparently been rescued
a mans head pcering far over the edge
OF the cornicc OF the roof was discovered
through the smoke, and the hremen once
more ascendcd 10 the perllous height. II
was again found that the ladder had to
be spliced on before the firemen could
was In a state of collapse. and in per-
hops another minute he would have
plunged head foremost into the street
below.
Thousands Cheered Rescue.
When the hremen reached him a
tremendous cheer arose from the thou
sands of anxious spectators OF the
thrilling rescue As the nrenen came
down the ladder cheer after cheer arose.
ending In one tremendous outburst as
the fremcn placed their fainting burden
on terra frma, The subject of this
spectacular rescue was Tom Richardson.
manager OF the Commercial club who
had his private office In the tower OF the
escape by the flames Mr.. Richardson
was given medical attention and was
soon restored and taken to his home