The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-07-21
FIRE DESTROYS
BRAGG BUILDING
rarm implements and Feed Store Com.
pietely Consumed by Flames
Iron Covering Confines Blaze.

me building on Railroad avenue
owned and occupied by w. II. Bragg
as oiiice, feed and farming implement
store was completely destroyed by
IRE early Saturday morning. Fire was
not discovered until the building was
a mass OF flames and none of the con-
tents was saved. The loss, roughly
estimated, approached $4,000, while
insurance was carried amounting to
between $4,000 and $4,000.
The first alarm was sounded by T.
l.. Collier and his crew at the Great
Northern roundhouse. A locomotive
whistle was blown for several minutes
before someone telephoned in to CEN
tral and had the fire siren turned
loose. Fire Chief Fred Hart, Frank
FORD, night clerk at the De Grubb,
Lawrence Bartell and Mace Reed, Jr.,
who was working in the garage. were
the first to reach the fire station and
start the hose truck. Others soon be-
gan to arrive at the scene of the fire
from all parts of town and by the time
the first line of hose was laid from the
hydrant at Chelan street and First
avenue, large number of volunteer
fire fighters were on hand. A second
lead was run from the hydrant at Main
street and Railroad avenue and the
two streams soon had the fire under
control. Bud Muflenhauser and Bev-
erly Powell handled one nozzle and
Glen Carrel. assisted by men from the
round house directed the other stream.
The fire was attacked from front and
rear of the building and quickly ex-
tinguished, considering the start 1t had
when the water was first turned ON.
The building was covered with sheet
iron, which confined the flames and
saved the adjoining buildings, both
owned by Bragg, one a blacksmith
shop on the west that is being remod-
eled for use as store, and the other
a large warehouse on the east.
Stored in the burned building were
binders, mowers, drills, ploys, har-
rows, repairs and parts for farm ma
chinery, rope, oils, wagon poles, forks,
erything was consumed or reduced to
junk. The office suffered with the rest,
a typewriter and protectograph being
destroyed and the safe badly scorched
and bulged by the heat.
The side walls, the rear wall and the
roof collapsed before the flames were
entirely extinguished, only a part Of
the front remained standing. Fortu-
nately there was not breath OF wind,
else the adjoining buildings must have
inevitably caught. AS it was the only
thing that prevented the spread OF the
fire was the protection of the CORFU
gated iron covering, which neld the
flames within like stove. The shin
giles on the roof of the building on the
west were curled and the paint on the
sides blistered by the intense heat
Mr.. Bragg did not arrive on the
scene until the fire was nearly out. lie
has no idea how the blaze started, Dut
accepts as a possible explanation the
suggestion that it was caused by
spontaneous combustion in the dust OF
the feed mill. He said Monday, that he
plans to rebuild, but for the time being
will occupy the remodeled building up
on which carpenters are now working
He will order new stock Of parts Tor
farm machinery Immediately and Will
renew his stock Of farm implements
az tho demand requires.