The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-07-03
FIRE DESTROYS Big
SAWMILL PLANT

The big electrically driven sawmill of
the Oregon Lumber Co., owned by the
Eccles interests of Utah, was burned
to the ground last Saturday morning
and is now a heap of charred debris,
causing clear loss of approximately
800, 900, according to estimates made
by Charles T. Early, manager of the
fir interests of the Oregon Lumber Co.
in Oregon and director of the COM
pany. In addition to the plant. mil
lion feet of lumber were destroyed, as
we're other smaller buildings adjoining
the sawmill. The power house was
saved. The company carried insurance
on the lumber, but none on the mill
plant, it being policy of the company
to carry its losses Of such nature as
do the larger railroad systems.
The origin of the fire is unknown.
At just about day break, j. M. Clark,
who lives at Dee, was leaving in his
automobile for Parkdale for party
that desired to return from a dance
that had been held there the night be-
fore. No evidence of the fire was then
noticed. However. it was but a short
time later that the watchmen discov-
cred the flames, which spread almost
as though an explosion had taken place
through the mill, the frame building
igniting like tinder. Shortly before
five o'clock the local operator of the
Oregon-W ashington Telephone Co. tried
to sarouse Mr. Early. who, however,
having returned from Ingals the night
before, was very tired and slept
through the noise of the telephone
ringing. His brother-in-law, l.. N.
Blowers, was called and succeeded in
awakening him by pounding on his
door. Mr.. Early, securing apparatus
and additional men, rushed to the scene
of the con1agration to direct the fire
fighters. Fortunately no strong wind
prevailed and by turning many hoses
on the hot fire of burning lumber piles
it was checked before the store build
ing and hotel structure caught. If
these structures had become gnited, as
would have happened in case of a very
strong wind, the homes of many of the
workers would also have burned, as
well as the 1000, 900 ieet of lumber
stored in the north end of the yards.
Bucket brigade assisted the hose
lines in fighting the flames. The loco
motives of the Oregon Lumber Co.
were used IN bringing tanksful of wa
ter from nearby streams. The fire
created great deal of excitement in
this city and many automobile loads
of people from here hurried to the
scene of the eonhagration.
A serious accident was narrowly
averted when the automobile of r. N.
Young and that of Albert S. Hall ran
into each other about half mile north
of Dee. The occupants of the car
driven very slowly by Young, who
we're going to the fire. were looking at
the smoke pouring up, while the road
way was hid to both parties on account
of curve and growth of tall bushes
on the roadsides there.
ID. G. Eccles, who was notified inn
mediately of the fire, arrived here
Monday morning.
1t is not known just where the new
mill, which will take the place of the
property destroyed. will be placed.
The greater portion of the company s
timber on the east side of the Middle
Fork has already been felled, and in a
few months it had been planned to re-
move to the west side, an extension of
the Mount Hood railroad having al
ready been constructed for three miles
in toward the Lost Lake country.
The proposed new mill will, in all
probability, not be so large as the old
| mill.