The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-05-19
YOUNG MA5HINIST
4 DIES IN FLAMES
RAY UTTER VICTIM IN $25 5000 FIRE
/. /. BOggesS Burned in Attempted Res
cue---Machine Shop and Garage
Burned.

Ray S. Utter, a young machinist,
was burned to death yesterday morn
ing in fire which destroyed the
machine shops and garage Of the Hood
River Manufacturing Engineering Co.,
causing to that company and other
property owners in the vicinity loss
of $25, 900.
Eugene Il. Boggess, another machin-
ist, lies at the Cottage Hospital
seriously burned as the result of
heroic attempt to save the life of
Utter, mis- fellow workman.
Utter, who was but l9 years old,
and the main support of his widowed
mother and brothers and sisters, who
resided at S04 East saith street in Port
land, was using gasoline brazer
working on the repair of an auto
mobile in the machine shop when an
explosion occurred which Immediately
enveloped him and the whole room in
flame. There were no other persons
in the room with Utter, and Boggess,
who was nearest, rushed in to rescue
his fellow workman. The boy, who
was evidently blinded by the explosion,
had probably inhaled the flames and
seemed unable to help himself and his
clothing was all afire. Boggess went
into the fire and dragged him toward
the door. AS he reached the door the
flesh slipped from Utter's arms and
Boggess, with his own clothing burn
ing had to get out and leave the body
in the door. The boy had evidently
made further attempt to escape,
as the body was found in the ruins
fully ten feet from the point where
Boggess was forced to give him up.
The explosion came without any
warning, and few seconds later the
whole of the shops and new garage
was mass Of flame. The fire alarm
was turned In and practically the en-
tire town turned out and fought hard
to save the buildings in the neighbor-
hood. A strong west wind was blow
ing, and it seemed for time that the
whole section of town east to the river
would be destroyed The wonderful
work of the many people succeeded in
holding the flames in check 80 that the
dwelling owned by d. A. Turner and
occupied by F. II. Coolidge and the
paint warehouse of j. B. Hunt were
the only other buildings completely de-
stroyed.
Within five minutes after the explo-
sion, all the buildings which were lost
were in flames, and 1t seemed that 1t
would be impossible to save the resi-
dences of w. II. Laraway and Carl
| Vaughan. Some of the furniture from
the Coolidge home was saved but the
| fire soon made it impossible 10 go into
the building. All the furniture OF the
Vaughan and Laraway residences was
removed as it was from several other
houses in the neighborhood.
Men on the roofs of the two houses
with buckets aided the two hose
streams which were playing on the
main fire and held the flames in check.
The Taraway woodshed adfoined the
house and had the back part of it
burned out. Only the hardest work
saved the Vaughan woodshed whcih
would have taken the house with it had
/ it burned. The paint warehouse ad-
Joining the machine shop was destroyed
and the kitchen and back part of the
house of J. B. Hunt was burned.
Young Utter, who lost his life, had
been here but three months, but he had
made many friends and was an expert
workman. He lived at the home of j.
4. Hanna. 1t was an hour and half
before the body was recovered from
the ruins and it had been burned be-
yond recognition. The remains were
taken to Bartmess' undertaking estab-
lishment and prepared to be taken to
Portland today for burial. The mother
Of the dead boy came here last night.
The new garage of the Manufactur-
mig and Engineering company was not
quite finished and there were two auto
mobiles in it at the time of the explo-
sion. These we're both taken out part
lly damaged. The principal stockhold-
ers of the Engineering company were:
r. N. Young, o. H. Rhoades and l..
| d. Bowed. The damage suffered by
the company was in tho neighborhood
| of $50. 900 with $500 insurance. The
last policy for $1,000 had been taken
out on the garage just two days before
the fire. The loss of the Turner house
| is $4,000, and there was some insurance.
| The loss to j. B. Hunt Of materials
and buildings was about $1,000 and
there was insurance which will proba-
bly cover it. F. II. Coolidge lost fur
niture to the value Of several hundred
dollars. The furniture and houses OF
Laraway and Vaughan were considera-
bly, damaged by smoke, water and
rough handling but insurance will cover
| the losses.
Il. Z. Boggess, who was burned so
severely, went to Plath's drug store
where he was cared for by DR.. Dumble
and later taken to the Cottage Hospi-
tai. His burns are very painful but
for the most part are not deep and 1t is
not anticipated will be dangerous.
The principal burns are about the face,
neck and arms.