Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-24
City Hall and Police BUILDINGS
Destroyed and Hundreds of
Lives Endangered.
WORST IN STATE SINCE 1866.
Financial Loss a Million, but Does
Not Cover Destruction of
Papers and Documents.
Celebrated Greenleaf Law Collection
Burncd-Ncwspaper Man on Way
Home Discovered the Fire.

Portland, Me, Jan. 2l.--A fire which
caused property damage of $1,000, 600
early today, destroyed the city hall and
police buildings and endangered the
lives of more than 700 persons. Al
though known as city hall, the building
was divided between the city and coun-
~ offices, while the police building shell
tered the supreme, judicial and NUM-
cipal courts, in addition to the police
department. The fire was the worst
in the state since the great Portland
con1agration OF 1866, when the city's
business and residential sections were
almost completely wiped out.
There were more than 700 persons
attending the Western Maine knights
Pythias jubilee gathered in the audi
> torium OF the city hall. Only few
persons were hurt, Chief Engineer
Melville Eldredge, being the only
known seriously hurt and he was able
to direct the fight against the flames
throughout being supported by twc
assistants.
MILLION DOLLAR LOSS.
The financial loss Is estimated at S1,-
100000. but this sum will not cover the
loss of the papers ana documents IN
the registry OF deeds, where everything
was destroyed. Other departments
were swept clear of everything by The
flames, with the exception of the city
clerks and the city treasurer's olllee,
the money and securities in the latter
being believed to be intact, although II
will be almost impossible to ascertain
definitely until the vaults have cooled
sufficiently for AN examination to be
made One of the most valuable III
braries in the state, the Greenleaf law
collection, was completely destroyed,
with a loss estimated at $4,000.
The blaze originated in the city cleo
| trician's office and was caused by
crossed wires and this made II impos-
sible TO ring fire call. The fire was
discovered by newspaper man on his
way home. He tried to pull an alarm
from n nearby box, stationed outside
a fire station. The signal rang the
station alarm and brought the fire.
men from that house TO the scene, but
they and few others summoned by
telephone constituted the whole fire.
fighting force for half an hour, during
which time the flames gained such
Roadway as to become uncomfortable.
When Chief Engineer Eldridge ar
rived he gave up all hopes OF saving
the building, and confined the efforts OF
the department to protecting surround-
ing property.
FIRE DISCOVERED.
When the flames were discovered,
William A. Turner chairman of the
meeting of the Pythian body, was made
acquainted with the condition of af-
fairs. Interrupting the rites or IN
vestiture which were going on, he calm
" told the assembled members of the
existing conditions and thus averted
panic, bringing out more than 200 per-
sons uninjured
Earlier in the evening, there had been
more than 1900 people In the audi
torium for the jubilee exercises and
had the fire occurred then, packed as
the hall was. many lives might have
been lost.
chief Engineer Eldridge sustained
his Injuries by the breaking away of
a coupling of hose, which hit him in
the stomach.
When the flames climbed TO the po-
lice building, where the county jail is
located. the prisoners were set free.
They had been arrested for only minor
offenses. The building. which was a
five-story structure OF brick, burned no
and down from the third floor, es did
the hall. Aid was summoned from
Bath, Biddeford, SAGE and Lewiston,
but tho latter was the only city to get
it's apparatus in the city before day
break. When 1t arrived It was too late
to take any active part In the fight
against the flames.
THE CITY HALL,
The city hall survived the great fire
OF 1866, although It was badly dam
aged ut that time. IL was first opened
IN 1859. The building had a frontage
or 1850 feet and was 25O feet long Its
central domes rose $50 feet above tho
roof. The building was constructed
of colored Nova Scotia Albert stone
and contained so rooms.