Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1917-08-30

CULDEsAC NEARLY WIPED OUT
BY FIRE MONDAY MORNING
Blaze Started In Lodging House-Does
Thousands In Damage Before Controlled.
Deputy Treasurer G. G. Martin receiv-
ed telephone message from his brother.
in-law, A. J. Boyer, on Monday, telling
of bad fire in Culdesac. The blaz.
started in O lodging house about 1880 in
the morning and spread over a large
portion of the town destroying in its
wake. the lodging house, barber snop
with residence, tailor shop, three resi-
dences, the Presbyterian church, print
ing office, city hall and fire department.
building, large hardware and furni-
ture store with ware house, jewelry
store, grocery and a meat market.
Through the efforts of the fire depart
ment the flames were brought under
control about IL a. m. before large stores
carrying stocks valued from ten to
thirty thousand dollars, were destroyed.
AS it is the loss of the buildings witn
their contnets win bring the losses
| easily up to $4,000. Most Of the build
ings destroyed were frame and their
finder like dryness made a fine once
started in them very difficult to con-
troll.
Culdesac is q town of about 500 peo-
pie according to Mr.. Martin who lived
there some time and whose father still
resides there. He has relatives in bust
ness in the town but none of them
were damaged by the fire. A creek
separates the business from the resi-
dence section so the fire did not spread
into the latter quarter.
Another account says the fire broke
out at 7:l5 o 'clock in a lodging house
conducted by Mrs. Margaret Smith, the
cause presumably being defective flue.
Famed by light and veering wind
the fire spread both east and west of
the Smith building, which is located
on the north side of the main thorough.
fare, licking up the frame structures
like so much finder. The intense heat
served to make the building on the north
side of the street easy victims, and with
sparks and burning embers flying
through the air it was not long before
both sides of the street were ablaze.
with the people, out in large numbers,
being powerless to halt the destruction.
The fire hose was run and water
turned on, but the sudden volume of
water through the mains caused one
to break, serving to greatly reduce the
pressure. length of hose caught fire
at the outset, and this hindered the
work to degree. The reservoir sup
plying the town with water is located
on a hill 1873 feet above the town proper,
about - quarter of mile southeast.
This has a capacity if 100000 gallons
and the supply was exhausted before
the fire was fully under control. The
supply later was made available to the
extent of supplying one hose.
When the flames had reached their
worst it was seen that the only way to
save the entire business section was
through the use of dynamite Three
buildings in the path Of the fire were
blown to atoms, these being the city
hall, the Pownall residence and the
building formerly used as shoe shop.
This materially stopped the progress of
the fire.
Among those effected by the fire are
Erb hardware store, loss $500. in
surance $4,000; w. w. Walter, $3.50, no
insurance; Hotel Clear sample room, $50
loss; ]. A. Conley, owner of building
oCcupltu DIV MIS-. SHlltn, loss SfUU TO
$500, with $500 insurance; Culdesac En-
terprise, $500 loss with no insurance;
j. w. Pownall, general store, 81, 900 loss,
with no insurance; Presbyterian church,
81 500 loss, $500 loss; Fl. L. Radabaugh,
loss $500, insurance $500; city hall and
fire station, loss $500 with no insur.
ance; John Bulen building, loss $3.50, no
insurance; Mrs. f. s. Scott of Charleston,
loss on buildings occupied by Erb hard.
ware store, $4,000, insurance 5000; Cul.
desae bank, loss 5000, fully covered; c.
NJ. Hagar, owner of two burned build
ings, loss $3.50, insurance $780, Keller
drug store, about 5000, no insurance;
Sogard department store, about $4OO,
fully covered; C. J. Norbo, about 5000,
n. r. Wear, owner of building
occupied by SCOTS barber shop, loss un.
known; Uriah i. Anderson, owner of
occupied by Joseph Shinn, as
residence, loss between $500 and 5000, |
with no insurance; Shinn loss on build |
ing's contents, about $3.50, no insurance;
Mrs. Ida Sprague, owner of De Partee |
residence building, loss 5000, no insur- |
ance; De Particles loss $780, no insur-
ance; II. l.. Radabaugh, loss to build |
ing and contents, $500, with $500 in |
suranee; Barney Wilson household loss /
5000, insurance unknown, if any; C. NJ.
Hagar, owner Of building, loss 5000,
with no insurance. MANY of those burnt |
out will rebuild