The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-03-16
RIVERSIDE HOTEL
BURNED At. RENO

closely unkeQ WITH NeVdud carly
history, scene of many notable
gatherings and famed the country
over as a Mecca for tourists, was
wiped out by fire early yesterday
morning. In less than an hour after
the blaze was discovered in a store
room in the basement, the big brick
building was doomed, despite prodig-
ious efforts on the part of the fire
department to check its progress,
says the Gazette.
Leaping up the elevator shaft,
the flames were soon communicated
to the roof and when this fell, it
carried the floors with it. The
first crash came only a few minutes
after the guests, most of them
scantilly attired, were conducted to
safety down ladders placed against
the sides of the building by the fire
department.
The blaze, for a time held in
leash by the heavy play of water,
was liberated when the tile lobby
floor caved in. From that instant
it was a question of saving adjoin-
ing property. As the roof fell
with crash, the building belched
flaming fagots high into the air
where they were caught hg stiff
southwest wind and were propelled
far into the residence districts in
the north part of town. Large
sheets Of tin from the roof, tenn
pered to white heat, were carried
aloft and afar, dropping on the
streets and roofs Of buildings.
Unfung from seething furnace,
the flames illumined the sky for
miles as the collapse of the roof
gave them greater play.
Reno was awake and hundreds of
men mounted to the roofs of the
down town buildings with fire ex-
tinguishers and emergency equip
ment, where they maintained their
vigil as huge flaming embers
showered down upon them. These
sparks were carried for many
blocks. Awnings were burned and
other slight damage was sustained
here and there.
The heat was intense. Windows
in the court house to the south and
in the library across the street
cracked and the thermometer in the
United States weather bureau kiosk
on the federal building lawn climbed
to fifty-two degrees shortly before
four o'clock this morning.
The conduct of the bell boys en-
ployed at the Riverside was heroic.
The corridors and Railways of the
hotel were filled with smoke as
they went from room to room
rousing the guests. The bell boys
were the last to leave the building
and they did not desert their posts
until they were satisfied that all
had been conducted to safety.
The fire was discovered by C. E.
Scott, a guest, when he observed
smoke creeping up the elevator
shaft and into the lobby. He d.
rected the attention of Norman
Dawson, the night clerk, to this and
when the latter ran the elevator
down to investigate and opened a
door leading into the store room,
he was enveloped by smoke. He
quickly ran the elevator back to
the main floor and gave the alarm.
Every available piece of fire fight
ing equipment was pressed into SER
vice. One steamer which had not
seen service for five years was
brought out. With steam up this
engine was placed north Of the
bridge in readiness for emergencies.
Another engine was out for the
second time in five years and every
member of the fire department was
on the job.
AS the confagration ragged, two
alarms were sent in. The firemen
who could be spared rushed to the
De Luxe building where a small
blaze was extinguished by chemicals.
The other was false alarm sent in
from the south part of the city.
One fireman was injured. L. A.
Sheppard, chemical wagon driver,
was knocked down by a stream from
fire hose when the five men who
were at the nozzle lost control Of
it. The stream hurled Sheppard
violently to the pavement and he
sustained injuries to his head. His
condition is not serious.
Sparks dropping to the street set
fire to the asphaltum pavement in
front of the burning building and
the firemen were kept busy stamp
ing out these pools of fame as they