The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1920-07-23
The Fire of 1904

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The following paragraphs are
taken from the first issue of the
Gazette published after the fire of
August, 1904. They may serve as a
warning to the citizens of the town
to use extreme caution to.prevent
fire during the dry season which is
in store for the next two months.
''Just as the Gazette was going to-
press this FRIDAY morning) which
happened to be five minutes Of
eleven O'Clock, couple of boys
cried fire. We glanced out of the
door and saw smoke rising from the
roof of the Pacific Hotel. Every
one by this time was on the qui vive
and a rush was made for the hose
cart which was quickly connected to
the hydrant and turned on the fire
while the hill hose was brought
down by the dray with a rush. No
water could be found in the nam
to give any pressure and inside five
minutes it was realized that the
business portion was doomed.
By this time the flames were
shooting up hundred feet IN the
air and the heat was terrific. The
merchants began gathering their
books, invoices and records and fled
to the hillside; and so quick was the
fire and so swift the destruction
that in some instances not even
these could be gathered up.
By 11:30 solid wall Of flames.
rapidly spreading, divided the town
into two parts and which ever side
citizen happened to be, there he
fought the flames as best he could.
At first it seemed that nothing in
the town could be saved but by in
domltable energy line was estab-
: lished where the houses were not
thickly located and the fire prevent
, ed from spreading further on either
side.
BY two o'clock the fire was under
, control but in this short space of
time, five blocks, including every
5 business house in town, were actual
S ly swept out of existence while
some 10 homes with their contents
were gone completely.
1t is rather hard to estimate the
damage at this time but it will De
in the neighborhood of $500. 900,
about half covered by insurance.
: AS we go to press the fires are
still smouldering amid heap of
d ruins and bleak, barren walls. the
;, ashes of once populous business.
To show the extent of the loss we
Il give a list of the merchants burnt
: out, and this means absolutely
without ten cents worth of salvage:
r Starting with the Pacific Hotel, ,
l. follows Roush carpenter shop. G.
Chase confectionery, T. P. Lorang,
l. cigar manufacturer; Terry's saloon.
y McCrea Bros. Hardware, Chandler
& Hill Livery, Kettenbach Grain
e Co., VIM. Hunter, blacksmith;
n Whites Drug Store. Moser's Dentisa
J. Office, Lewis Jewellery, Hall Con
fectlonery, Martin Thomas Ware
a house, Benjamin & Sons Livery, U
r B. Church. McCrea Warehouse
HamIey Photograph Gallery, lodgs
i'd hall and opera house, McGrew Mer
r. chandise, Hamley & Co.. harness
y y St. Elmo Hotel and bar, City Hall
Post Office, State Bank. Suppiger'
Office, Beckwith General Merchan
y y disc, Kerr Confectionery, Wllt
Meat Market, Lincoln Hardwar'
g. Co., Haizlip & Norman. Genera
Merchandise; Hunter Bros. Furn
70 iture, Gazette Office, HINES Photo
+ graph Gallery, D.. S. Hunter Lum
ber Yard, Brown & Hill Lumbe
m Yard, Star Restaurant, Kollenbor
Co., Implements; LAWN Blacksmit
or Shop, Lincoln Warehouse, Canyo
ly Echo Office, H. P. Hull. genera
e. merchandise; besides this numbe
of sheds and residences.