The Alaska citizen., 1915-12-20
Fairbanks Experiences One of the Largest Conflagra- tions in Her History--Loss Placed at S3O, ,0OO, GEORGE SALOFF IS
 BURNED TO DEATH Fire Catching From Gas Lighting System Cause of Fire--Russian is Suf- located.

Orc man burned to death and the California business block, on First avenue. mass of charred ruins, is the sum total of the disastrous fire which visited Fairbanks yesterday afternoon The name of the dead man is George or Hasbe Saloff, a Russian about 90 years of age His body was recovered at 10 o'clock last night by number of his coun- tIymen and the grief of the brother C" t'-e dead nan was pitiful to see as the charred remains were car rid from the ruins.
 The fire started about 415 o'clock II is believed to have originated from an explosion of the gasoline lighting system in use at the California sa- loon. which occupied the Barnette side of the building. At any rate, the first known about the fire was when it was seen shooting from the windows in the saloon part of the Ct!ir r~ia the building being e mass e flames so qui kly that no human offcrt could have saved it. before the fire alarm was turned in.
 The fire spread quickly to the room in the same building occupied tN l'-E ll'CiI'S SloNtls oloIf HtI 2rother gas lighting plant explosion ing the fire everywhere in the building. In fact. it was feared for a time that the entire block of business houses between Barnett Q and Wickersham on Front street, would be taken by the flames. The flames did spread to the second S.-nv of a To-. unoccupied, but they were quickly checked by the firemen who mount ed to that part of the building with ? hose. A lire of hose was also laid to the roof of the Pioneer ho- tel, the firemen getting In good wcr'l from there, and the roof of the Northern. and managing to con- fine tho flames to the building in which they started
 THE LOSS.
 The property loss on the Cali forni~ building alone is estimated at about $200o0. It is owned by Peter Nidoyich, now on the Out eide It is stated that he carried S5,000 insurance on the property. Andy Mckenzie and Cam Basoff, who operated the saloon and pool rom in the California, are losers rNout S6.000, with no insurance. Jack Eealey the proprietor of the grocery ftOre, estimates his loss at s4,500, with S2 000 insurance. Exclusive Of tNa insurance, the property loss was therefore in the neighborhood of $25,OOO
 THE FIRE STARTS.
 As yesterday was Sunday. the bar at the California was closed. The pool room and bowling alleys in the rear of the building, how ever, were open, ant 1t is stated that about 40 men, mostly Russians, were passing the time away there.
 Owing to the darkness the light iDg system in the building was work ing early. Two lights were in the rf ~ "nA ~S tNo bu1iine. or that occupied by the pool room, there being only one light in the saloon part. The generating apparatus for the lighting system was also in the main barroom.
 Andy M '<en7ie. one of the propri- etors of the place, states that he and Joe Kelly, who worked there, were just entering the front door when the eyDloeiOn occurred Nei- ther was able to save anything but his life, so rapidly did the flames spread within the room It was an parent that the fire originated in