Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-13
PARK CITY FIRE
THREATENED TOWN
Maple Hall Burned to the Ground
Yesterday, EntaiIing Big
Losses.
FIVE PERSONS WERE INJURED
None of Them Seriously Hurt-Many
Had TO be Awakened From Their
Slmnber In Doomed Building.
Especial to Tho News. }

Especial to The News)
Park City. Dec 13.-Fire which
threatened TO again wipe out the
heart OF the city here yesterday after
noon. resulted in FIVE men being in
jured slightly. The thrilling escape of
one man from the burning building,
the complete destruction of Maple
hall. used as hotel and business
block and the destruction of other
buildings, furniture and clothing to
the extent OF s25.7Oo.
THE INJURED.
John c. Hayes, lessee OF rooming
house, severely shaken by dropping
from sign on second floor. Taken to
hospital.
Robert Hanley. miner, burned about
face and hands while endeavoring to
save his effects. Taken to hospital.
n. X. watkins. miner. burned about
face and hands in trying to save his
trunk.
William Collins. delivery man. artery
cut in right hand by coming in con-
tract with broken glass. Taken to hos
pital, operated on this morning.
James Lowney. miner. face and
hands burned. Taken to hospital. Re-
turned home later.
FIRE LOSSES.
The buildings which were damaged.
other losses and the amount of insur-
ance were as follows.
Maple Hall, owned by the Salt Lake
Security & Trust company OF Salt
Lake, loss, $500; insurance $4,000.
John and Charles Shields two build
ings. loss. $4,000: insurance, $1,000.
Fisher Brewing company. saloon fix
lures; loss, $1,000, insurance, $1,000.
John c. Hayes. lessee of rooming
house, furniture) loss, $4,000; no In.
surance.
w. r. Jaffords, confectionery store),
loss. $1,000; no insurance.
Joseph Jaffords. saloon, loss. 1000;
no insurance.
Campbell & Hanson. saloon, loss,
$1,000 no insurance.
Idleman &c Co, O1xtures). loss. $500:
no insurance.
Senate Cate, north of Maple Hall,
loss $1,000; no insurance.
w. II. Miller. dance hall in Maple
Hall, loss. $500; no insurance.
Personal effects of guests at Maple
Hail. loss $1,000; no insurance.
DISASTER THREATENED
For a time after the fire started at
$50 O'Clock yesterday afternoon 1t
seemed certain that there would be a
repetition of the disaster of 1895. when
the heart of the city was wiped out, by
fire which began but few doors
from the present one. Soon after the
fire department arrived there were fully
1000 persons standing in the street, al
though the temperature was below
zero.
of the Maple hall building, Main street,
between Third and Fourth streets. 1t
did not take long after the fire started
for the building to be totally destroyed
At the time the fire started there were j
number of guests on the top floor OF the
building which was used as n hotel
Many of these were employed at night
and had to be awakened. AS a result
some of them made their escape to the
though number of people were hurt
no one was seriously injured.
FRAME CONSTRUCTION.
Maple Hall was three-story frame
building used as an office, store build
ing and hotel, On account of the slope
OF the hill at the back, the building was
practically four stories high. The top
floor was leased to Mr.. and Mrs. John
G. Hayes, who conducted n hotel The
second floor of the building was occu-
pied by Frank Fountain as a jewclry
store. On the first floor was a saloon
run by Campbell and Hanson and In
the basement W. H, Miller had dance
ioll.
There are a number of theories
heard in Park City today as to the
cause of the fire. Some believe that the
furnace I'm the boiler room was filled
with coal and that filling with gas 1t
exploded and started the fire. Another
theory Is that hot ashes or Goals fell
upon waste and from that ran up one
Of the wooden partitions. 1t is asserted
that the boiler room was poorly con-
structed and the chimneys might have
been the cause of the fire.
Among the first to appear at the fire
was w. II. Miller. He was in a sa-
loon a few doors away when someone
callcd to him that his place was on
fire. He ran to the place and with the
assistance of several other men at
tempted to remove his plano, The In
strument had just been started toward
the door when the partition between the
boiler room and the basement burst
into the dance hall. The flood OF flames
shot up between the partitions and
were roaring to the top floor.
SOME GUESTS SLEEPING.
The men dropped the plano and ran to
the top floor to get the people out. 1t
was while engaged at this that several
were Injured. Some OF those who had
been engaged in night work and were
asleep. were awakened with considera-
BILE difficulty. Everyone got out OF the
building safely, although no clothing or
valunbles belonging to the guests were
saved
Fire Marshal George w. Morris was
on the scene early and on account OF
the good work accomplished by the
flremen the city WAS saved from a
heavy loss AS 1t was four buildings
We're destroyed. To the north of Ma
pie hall were two buildings. notion
store and saloon. and to the south was
the Jafford saloon, which was de-
stroycd.
]. p. I.angford. manager OF the Min
ers' hospital and secretary of the Min
crs' union. wasted no time in having
all persons injured taken to the hos
pital at once.
About the only person TO save any
thing In Maple hall was Frank Foun-
tnin AS soon as the 1ewelcr heard
the fire roaring below he threw all his
most valuable 5eweiry into case and
showed IL out OF the window The
case being unusually heavy did not
hrcak and tho valuahlcS were easily |