The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1915-12-31
DISASTROUS FIRE
LAST SUNDAY NIGHT
Three Store Buildings, Including Post
office, Entirely DeStrOyed-ECho
Building Not Damaged

Sunday night last, between 1890
and II o'clock fire was discovered in
the basement of the building occupied
by the postoffice, adjoining the Echo
Office, on the corner Of Eighth and
Commercial streets. From a state
ment made by Tommy Davis the night
of the fire it is believed it originated
from the furnace. He says he was in
the postoffice earlier in the night and
filed the furnace with coal and closed
the door, and he says he believes it
exploded.
Some delay was occasioned in get
ring the water on the building because
Of the immense amount Of snow on
the ground, about four feet in depth.
There was no way of getting into the
basement from the front and the fire
men went to the rear and tried to en-
ter the basement from that point.
Dense volumes of smoke poured out,
in truth so dense and thick that not
the slightest evidence of fire or blaze
could be seen. The entrance is so
made that it is impossible to direct
water into the basement without get
ting on the inside and this was found
impossible. In trying to get inside
and direct the water to the front Of the
basement, where the fire was supposed
to be Henry Craig, one of the men
manning the nozzle was overcome with
smoke and had to be taken to the hos
pital where he shortly after revived
with no bad effects. After this no ef-
fort was made to enter the building.
In an effort to get to the fire from
the front hole was chopped out under
the show windows, but in this only a
narrow opening between the floor and
sidewalk, about eight inches wide,
could be made and it was impossible
TO get to the fire with water from this
point. This however gave the fire
draft and in less than five minutes after
the hole was made in the front the fire
broke out in the rear with tremend-
Gus roar. Two streams were promptly
directed against the fire, which soon
made an opening in the rear so that
water could be poured into the inside.
By this time the fire had gained such
headway in the basement, which was
separated from an adjoining basement
under the Palace store by wooden
partition, and another wooden partition
separated it from the basement under the
Leavenworth Furniture Co.'s store, that
it was impossible to make any headway
against it. While an effort at entrance
to the postoffice basement was being
made, the fire spread to the two ad-
Joining easements, all Of which were
divided by board partitions. From the
time that the fire issued from the rear
Of the postoffice basement no effort
was made to save the building, as it
was doomed. Three streams OF water
were thrown into the building for six
hours without having any perceptible
effect on the progress of the fire. 1t
looked as if the water added fuel to the
FIRE and made it burn fiercer, so intense
was the heat. Nothing was saved from
any Of the occupied stores or the post
Office. In the latter was lot of Christ
mas letters and packages, undelivered,
and the previous days accumulation OF
outgoing mail.
The postoffice adjoined the Echo
building. which at no time was consid-
cred in danger. A substantial concrete
and brick wall separated it from the
other buildings, and the damage is