The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-09
$15,OOO,OOO lust
AS FIRE DESTROYS
ASTORIA, OREGON
Entire Business Area Of City in
RuinS-ReIief Rushed by
Portland and Seaside
Organizations

Astoria, Ore, December S.--The
business district of Astoria, the old
est city in Oregon, is in ruins, hum
dreds of persons are homeless and
property loss estimated around
100000 was caused by a fire
here today. For 10 hours the
flames burned an Overwhelming
path through the city until shortly
after noon.
Banks, newspaper plants, hotels,
stores, theatres and numerous bus
mess houses were wiped out. Ac-
cording to Fire Chef f. y. Foster,
the fire got Out Of control because
it burned beneath the buildings
under piling upon which the bust
ness section was built, He attrib-
uted the disaster to failure to fill in
the space beneath the piling. Dyna-
hitting was resorted to in an effort
to stay the fire.
bhuhtt 1cuN
Norris Staples, automobile man and
president OF the Bank Of Commerce
dropped dead OF heart failure while
the fire was at its height.
The body Of {. j. Smith, a tran
silent, was found hanging under the
sidewalk ON the water front, but
whether he had ended his life be
cause OF the fire or for other reasons
l.. -. 4 tf,,-s, -
lie had spent the night in a lodgin :
house nearby.
Thirty blocks were wiped out
Many homes in the older residence
district were destroyed and about
SO families living in an apartment
house were made homeless by the
obstruction OF that building. In adj
dition to these many persons room,
ing in the destroyed area lost al
their personal property.
Relief Measures Planned
A committee Of citizens met at thu
call Of Mayor Bremmer and planned
Immediate relief mea surfs. They wers
assured 81 help from Pof Hand AM
Seaside Every restaurant and hote
, had been destroyed and stocks o
goods had been wiped out. so there
was prospect OF immediate want
Portland bakeries sent bread and Sea
side opened the hotel there to re-
ceive those without shelter, and I
large number of cottages at the beacr
resorts also made available. Homes
IN the residence district also were
thrown open to give aid and food &c
the needy.
The Y. NJ. c. A. building. which
Was outside the fire zone, was opened
as the headquarters of all welfare
agencies.
The Budget. an afternoon paper
which attempted to get out an edi'
ton today at Seaside, found this i'm
practicable. and instead issued mime
ographed sheets.
j. S. Deliinger. publisher of The
Astorian, the morning paper, an
nounced that he probably would get
out tomorrow's edition on the press
of the local Finnish daily. The To-
vert.
Newspaper Plant Burns
The Historian recently moved into
new building. which was swept By
the fire Mr.. Dellinger said three
type-setting machines had been saved
but the rest of the plant was de-
stroyed, including the files of so
years.
Telephone exchanges and telegraph
offices were burned. Communication
with the outside was maintained
throughout the day by means Of a
long distance line temporarily set UT
at the city hall.
The hotelkeepers OF oregon, in ses-
sion at Portland. donated $4,000 for
relief, and railroads offered free
transportation and other aid.
The W. G. T L. established free
lunch in the Y. W {. A.
The Columbia River Packing asso-
ciaticn donated the use Of two steam.
ers for housing purposes and facin-
ties in churches and other buildings
were listed for housing A detach.
ment of the oregon national guard
was due to arrive to aid the police
Orders were Issued to keep ever,
person out of the burned district to-
night.
Lee Drake. part owner Of the AS
toria Budget and president OF ths
Chamber OF Commerce. called meet
ing of all merchants for tomorrow
to discuss plans for rebuilding.