The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-07-01
SPECTACULAR BLAZE
MADE BY ARMORY

Hood River was fortunate Tuesday
night. when during lull Of the west
wind that usually blows strongly here.
the ArmoTy building on Cascade ayen-
ue, an old land mark. was destroyed in
puff Of flames. discovered about ii
O'Clock. just after Charles Carson and
Will Parker, local school boys who hsd
Just opened d skating rink on the sec
ond floor, closed up for the night.
Before the apparatus Of the Volun-
teer fire department, the members Of
which responded in about II minutes,
could be assembled, the entire upper
story was aiire. The flames quickly
burst through the tiBderlIke roof and
leaped more than a hundred feet into
the air. making the city and Columbia
gOrgesides as light as day.
II the usual gale had been blowing,
or had an ordinary breeze been STIR
ring, the damage might have been Sc
we're. The heat was terrific for rad
ius Of So yards around the cid Armory.
paint blistered and peeled off on houses
half block away, and two small
homes beside the old structure were
left charred RUNS. Had il not been for
the exceedingly quick work of the fire
department adjoining buildings. which
were constantly ignlted. would have
burned
The heaviest losers we're Cutler Bros.
East Side Orchardists, who recently
purchased the building and a carpenter
shop in the first story, for the manu-
facture Of an apple grading machine
recently invented by them. Their first
model of the year, which has created
an interest among apple growers be-
cause it sizes the fruit by weight, had
Just been completed Tuesday and was
10 have been made ready yesterday for
shipment to the Panama. Pacific exposi-
tion, where it was to have been eX-
hbited in the Palace Of Horticulture.
Cutler Bros loss will reach about
81, 500, with an insurance of 81. 600.
One of the houses burned was the
property of Rev. j. W. Rigby. 1t was
occupied by Mrs. Ward, a county
charge. 1t stood at the rear Of the
ArmOry, and was crushed by the tall
chimney of the latter building when 1t
toppled over. The loss was approx.
mately $500. The other building prac-
tically destroyed was the home of Mrs.
N. A. Monroe, Hood River pioneer.
Her loss, partly covered by insurance,
will reach 81, 900. The next heaviest
sufferers were the Pacific Telephone 4
Telegraph Co, and the local phone
company. The main trunk line to east
ern and central Oregon of the former
company was out of commission for
while. However, within two hours af-
ter the fire Frank Howard, local repre-
sentative of the company, had estab-
lished communications.
On account of the effect Of the heat a
number of handsome residences in the
neighborhood of the fire will have to he
repainted.
Hood River has never seen a more
spectacular fire. The crowd that gath
cred from the city and nearby valley
poionts soon after the flames were dis
covered probably reached the number
of 1000 people. All kinds of garbs
we're in evidence. One young man, j.
Oliver Wall, FASTENED to the scene
wearing one of his wife's skirts. The
electric lighting system having been
out of commission, he was unable to
find his trousers in the dark.
TUT HCNEIht biOIhb bIt VI ldHl-
lies took stations at the apex of their
roofs armed with the garden hose.
The Carson and Parker lads had just
scraped together their earnings and be-
gun the skating rink. The boys were
endeavorng to raise money with which
to pay school expenses this winter.
While not so heavy as that of others.
their loss will probably be the most
keenly felt.
The fire is thought to have started in
the cloak room of the skating rink, as
il first burst out in the end of the
building in which this was located.
While today there is regret at the
loss of the owners of the building. a
universal gladness seems to prevail
that the old building.is gone. For years
il has been considered fire menace,
and had been condemned as being un-
safe
The Armory was constructed in 1892,
and at that time, when Hood River had
crack company of the Third regi-
ment Of the Oregon National Guard,
was the pride of the Apple Valley.
While no serious injuries were sus-
tanned by the members Of the fire de
partment. three of the men, Harry
DObson, Vern Hunt and Wilbur Coulter.
we're slightly burned.