Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-07-28
Perish
IN 100000 FIRE
TWO MULES AND TWO HORSES
BURN; OTHERS CRIPPLED.
Flames driven BY Wind
Blaze Under Control After Hours
Fighung-I'ircmcn Almost over
come In Efforts tO Save,


Driven by high wind fire or
igntug IN the rear of the Rod BAH
Transfer y Storage Company's house
on North Boulder Avenue between
Archer and Brady Streets last night,
caused damage estimated by Ed
ChastaIne. president Of the company,
at 100000 although other estimates
place the figure at not above $4,000,
II was tho worst fire that the fire
department has had TO battle for
many months, and for over an hour
the firofighters fought losing game
with the flames. Shortly after 11;30
o'clock, with a dozen streams of
water playing ON the burning build
lngs the turning point was reached
ana Fire chief Alder announced that
he had the flames under control
In the rear Of the building, where
the fire originated, twenty horses
ana mules were stalled. when the
first hnlows Of smoke rolled through
the stalls. a scene Of the widest CON
fusion was started. Before the horses
could be taken to place of safety
two horses ana two mules were
burned to death, ana half dozen
others wero so badly burned about
the legs and back that they may
have 70 be shot,
What was the exact cause Of the
fire will probably never be known.
but tho theory was advanced last
night that some one sleeping in the
hay accidentally dropped a match.
The first alarm rang in at 1890
and the Central Fire department re-
sponded. The blaze at that time was
confined TO the rear OF the largo
building, but in few minutes, driven
by the fierce wind It shot tho length
Of the entire place and burst out Of
tho front windows. By this time II
was evident that the firemen were
confronting a serious proposition, as
tho main buildings was filled with
furniture. trunlos and other stored
goods, all highly inflammable.
A second call was rung IN and
every fire department in the city was
quickly on the scene, Every avail
ablo foot Of hose owned by the de-
partment was pressed into service,
and in a few minutes streams of
water were being poured into the
burning building from every side.
The building became a burning
mass and as the center roof fell in
with a loug crash, sparks and flying
brands We're scattered in every dl-
rectlOn.
The efforts Of the fire lads were
then confined to holding the main
blaze and to saving the Thompson
Ice Cream factory, which adjoins the
burning building on the south cor
ner That these efforts were more
successful was due to the double
wall between tho two buildings.
Burning brands, driven by the
wind, fell on tho roofs Of nearby
houses and business blocks, but per-
sons in these buildings, by using
tubs and buckets Of water, succeeded
in avertlng further damage.
Early In the course OF the fire, a
squad Of firemen, lead by the fore
man, Wesley Bush Of the Central
station, had a narrow escape from
being cut off by the flames as they
stood on tho top Of shed I'm the
alley directing a stream Of water on
the blaze. Almost before they know
It, the flames were licking their
feet and the smoke was pouring up
at them in great clouds. They made
a hasty retreat but as they emerged
from the smoke, several were totter-
Ing and would have fallen but for
the aid Of spectators Every man
bravely returned 10 his post.
II was reported during tho fire
that large quantity Of dynamite and
giant caps were stored in tho build
Ing, and the flremen momentarily
expected to hear the explosion, but
none came
Thousands Of people lined the near
by streets, watching tho frofghters
battle with tho flames Excellent
order was maintained by tho police,
and for once the flremen were not
hampered by the crowd.
The four horses that were burned
TO death belonged 10 william L.
Mills a grocer Of North Main Street.
The horses Of Mills together with
sixteen head OF horses and mules
belonging to the Red Ball Company
were stabbed In the rear Of the burn
ed building, and IL was here that the
flames originated.
The firemen were still fighting
the flames at an early hour this
morning, but all that remains was a
few tottering walls and smolderlng
piles Of miscellaneous goods that
were stored In the barn.
The fire last night was the third
OF tho day. The first fire occurred al
3 o'clock in the morning, when a
two story brick building, alleged to
bo used as road house and said 10 be
owned by Ella GIN. was totally de-
stroyed by fire The fire department
was called TO the scene. but az there
Il no water in that part Of town, noI
ing could bo done. Very little furnl-
ture was In the house at tho timo
Fire Chief Alder suspects that the
fire was started by ncendlarles, and