The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-12-01
STEAM LAUNDRY
DESTROYED
An Old Established Plant Completely
Wiped Out by Fire Tuesday Night
With Total Loss.

TIE OrOville Steam Laundry, located
In the extreme south part of town,
and owned by C. Schassberger, was
totally destroyed by fire Tuesday
night, not single article out of the
building being saved.
The weird wall of the siren was
turned on just at midnight and the
citizens who responded to the call
could locate the fire from the mass
OF flame that lit up the southern part
OF the town. The fire department
turned out promptly, but the fire had
gained such headway and the building
being of such inflammable material
that 1t was impossible to check the
flames until the structure was burned
to the ground.
The laundry occupied the ground
floor OF large two-story frame build
ing, the second story being occupied
by the family. Mr.. and Mrs. Schass-
berger and their daughter Edna were
at Wenatcnee, where Mr.. Schassber-
ger had gone for the purpose of join
ing the Elks. The two younger child
rem, little girls, Catherine and Maxine
Jane, had been left in the care of Mrs.
Collier, a neighbor, and Gerald
Schassberger and Hans Greiff, two
lads II or 18 years of age, slept in the
second story Of the laundry Gerald
Schassberger Is occasionally the un-
fortunate victim of epileptic fits and
on Oft nh tn hn min hsc
awakened Mr.. Greiff and when he was
aroused he discovered the room to be
full Of smoke. BY that time the fire
had made such headway that the only
means of escape was by the window.
The stairs leading to the second story
are on the outside of the building. and
luckily the window opened on the
stairs. Mr.. Greiff had great difficulty
in dragging young Scnassberger out
Of the window, as he was unconscious
and Of course perfectly helpless. Be-
fore effecting his escape Mr.. Greiff
had the presence of mind to throw
the clothing of both himself and that
of Gerald out of the window, and that
absolutely all that was saved.
The origin Of the fire is unknown
but it is supposed to have started
in the boiler room as that part of the
building was all in flames when the
fire was first discovered by neigh
bors.
The loss falls heavily upon Mr..
Schassberger. The laundry is one Of
the best equipped in the county, being
supplied throughout with modern ma
chinery which ne has added to the
plant from time to time since he pur-
chased 1t from the Prentice boys some
years ago. The loss is not confined to
the plant itself. All the furniture,
clothing and belongings of the
Schassberger family, including valu-
able piano, were among the property
destroyed. A fortunate feature for the
residents of the town the weeks laun-
dry had all been delivered Tuesday
and no soiled clothing had been gath
cred up.
Dell Hart reports that Mr.. Schass-
berger carried $4,000 insurance on the
laundry and household goods in the
several companies represented by him.
The Oroville Steam Laundry was
established some fourteen years ago
by A. Norm, who previous to that time
operated a laundry at Loomis and is
now the proprietor of the largest plant
in the county at Okanogan. Mr.. Norm
sold to the Prentice brothers and some
seven or eight years ago the Prentice
brothers sold out to Mr.. Schassberger.
The laundry was one Of the important
institutions Of the town and it is sin
cerely hoped that Mr.. Schassberger
will replace the destroyed plant with
a new one.