Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-07-01
Fremont Hotel and Rees &
EIgin Garage Are Among
Buildings Destroyed
PRESSING PARLORS GO
and MANY SUITS BURN
Inflammable Material Makes
Terrific Blaze But Firemen
HerOicaIly Control 1t

Property damage as a result Of the
fire that gutted the Fremont hotel
building, owned by George +. Rodgers,
at the corner of Ferry and High streets,
early this morning, is estimated this
afternoon to approximate $4,000, al
though it is impossible to give any ex-
act figures until the insurance men
have viewed tae damage and the own
ers can check up their losses. Prompt
action on the part of the fire depart
ment, in spite Of a false alarm that
took them in an opposite direction from
the fire, confined the blaze to the ho-
tel and saved the adjacent buildings.
George Rodgers, on whom the loss
will fall the heaviest, estimates his
damage to be about $4,000, which is
not covered by insurance. AS stroke
of bad luck, he mad allowed his insur-
ance on the building to lapse recently.
Little insurance was carried by the 9th
er tenants of the building. Among the
other heavy losers are Mrs. H. W.
Harding, who conducted the Fremont
hotel, and the Rees & Elgin auto ga.
rage, the proprietors of which lost three
new automobiles, large number Of
tires and machine fixtures. Their loss
will approximate $4,000.
Many Shops Burn.
Housed under the same roof were Q
large number of saops. Among then
were the Shaw pressing parlOrs, the
loss of which will amount to abou
$3.50; the Excelsior motorcycle garage
conducted by Morse & Ramsden, whose
loss consisted chiefly in several bicy
eles, oils and fixtures; the Rees & Elgir
auto garage, in which were stored sew
en- autos, all destroyed; the paint shoI
of the Hutchins Paint company, whose
loss is estimated to run $1,000 abOv,
5000 insurance.; store room of X. X
Jones, contractor, whose loss has no
been ascertained; the French laundry
loss unknown at present; a yulcanizinl
snOp, in which was an auto belonging
to Mr.. Rodgers, tinshop belonging
to A. L. Fraser, and the Threska Ha
Works, $1,000.
With the exception OF the engines o
the motorcycles and the autos and tn
machinery of the tinshop, which escap
ed fiercest of the heat, everything il
the building is a total loss. Nothing
left of the furniture of the lodgin
house but soaked bedding and scraps o
twisted iron bedsteads. In t1e ashe
of the autos are the auto engines
while brick chimneys and charrei
posts loom up from a tangled mass
blackened and twisted rods. Where yes
terday was busy hive of business to
day is a confused heap of blackene
ruins.
Insurance Too High.
1t is said that the reason little il
surance was carried by the tenants wa
because of the high percentage rC
duired by the insuring companies, tn
rate being as high as 10 per cent o
the property covered by tie undel
writer's. 1t was recognized that tn
building was old, dry as finder and
regular fire trap. It was also note
ard eensure given for allowing hot'
and auto garage to be housed undC
the same roof, when the latter stor
so much Combustible stuff as gasolin
and prestolite.
Che Fremont hotel was formerly
livery stable conducted by w. S. LO-
and was remodeled only last year b
Mr.. Rodgers into its semi-modern shap
The ground floor, on account of it's us
as garages, was soaked with oils an
extremely infammabe so that whe
it caught last night about Has o. 'cloc
in few minutes it was practically pai
saving. The flames raced from OF
place to another WITH such rapidity tha
six streams of water had little or L
effect in the way of checking them.
There was short shift given to ii
occupants of the hotel and they barel
escaped being caught in their room
, and burned. As it was one man W;
reported to have been trapped but ii
finally escaped by climbing onto Il
7, shed next Skipton s barn and iumpir
to the ground. Flying glass caused
few minor cuts among the fleeing lOt
guests, but no one was seriously hur
Good Work Done.
, On account of the excellent wOi
done by the fire department in the
hopeless struggle against the fire thi
4 was consuming the main structure, h
5 flames were confined to that buildii
$ alone, and the stables and feed ba
! of SkiptOn on the west was not evi
; seorched. The new auto pumper W