The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-10

FANNOQN Elk, wash, june ~
The Pittock & Leadbetter lumber
mill was almost entirely destroyed by
fire this morning.
The mill proper, with all the ma
chinery, is a complete wreck, much
damage has been done to the dock
and considerable quantity Of lumber
has been burned. The boiler room
and the great portion OF the lumber
in the yards have been saved, this
fortunate circumstance being due
largely to the fact that at the time
Of the breaking out Of the fire there
was an entire absence OF wind.
The fire started about $50 A. M.
in the engineroom. about the central
portion OF the mill. The last report
Of the watchman on his rounds is in
dicated at 3:2s; he says il was about
10 minutes later that he first noticed
smoke in the engineroom. Accord
ing to his statement, he was at this
time making another round, and was
under the main floor OF the mill, from
where he saw the smoke in the en-
gineroom. As far as he could tell,
be says, there was no blaze, He tried
10 get the telephone Office to turn in
an alarm, but for some reason could
not get central By this time the en-
tire OF the mill was in a blaze, and as
he best remaining resort the sream
whistle at the mill was blown.
II was thus about 4 o'clock when
he alarm reached the fire department,
md the flames had gained such pro-
portions that it was evident any at
empt to save the mill would be futile.
Owing to some defect in the hydrant |
eading from the big fire tank at the |
Mill, some more time was lost, and |
'efore the department apparatus
ould be got into action several OF
he immense piles of lumber were
'lazing hercely and almost the entire
framework of the mill had been con-
umed, The hremen directed their
forts to an attempt to check the
pread of the fire in the lumber piles,
nd in this were soon successful.
Within an hour of the time of the ar
ival Of the fire department it was
vident that the flames were under
ontrol and that the boiler-room and
ne larger portion of the lumber
ards could be saved.
By this time the flames had COM
lunicated to the lower portion of the
ill, located under the flooring OF the
ock, and this required considerable
ttention from the firemen, Every
,ot of available hose belonging to
lie city was in use, when the chemical
nd hose wagon from the garrison ar
we'd and lent what assistance was
ossible, This wagon carries a con-
derable quantity of FIRE hose.
At 10 o'clock this morning the fire {
as still burning in the piles OF lum- '
n, and while the danger of destruc-
on of the yard or OF the dwellings in c
e neighborhood had been averted,
was impossible to even estimate t
e amount of loss on this account. {
he machinery in the mill is said to u
valued at about $lS0,000, and at a t
W estimate the other losses will ag- t
egate 100000, Upon this there. is t
insurance of $4,000. I
While there is, considerable criti- il
SIN over the delay in turning in the e
arm, on every side there is praise c
r the work of the firemen after they Il
ached the scene of the fire. Much [
od feeling is also expressed over is
G friendly assistance rendered by a
e fire department from the garri- Il
n. La
This mill is one of the oldest indus
es in the city. The mill was
iginaly built by persons from tt
ichigan, in 1889, and for long time il
IS known as the Michigan mill, a,
nee that time the property has c,
anged hands number of times. W