Newspaper Page Text
LEAVENWORTH ECHO
Vol. 1. N0.2.
SIX BUILDINGS BURNED
Leavenworth Again the Victim of a Destructive Fire
Third Time in Seven Years the City Has Suffered
LOSS REACHES NEARLY $25,000
Covered by Insurance-.--Already the Work of Re-building Has
Commenced—Brick Blocks Will Take The Place of The Burned
Ones—The Want of Fire Protection Very Much in Evidence.
Leavenworth's third fire in seven
years occurred on last Sunday morn
ing at 4:30 o'clock. Six business houses
were consumed, all of which were
•occupied. The total loss will amount
to approximately fifty thousand
dollars. Plisch & Bliss and John
Ujork were the heaviest lossers.
The lire started in Adams & Burkes
hall, which was occupied by the Wen-.
•ntcliee band boys who gave a dance on
Saturday night which broke up, sup
posidly, at 12 o'clock, but in /act about
•one o'clock. Just exactly how the (ire
•originated is not definitely known.
John Adams, one of the owners, said
all was safe when he locked up. J. Nel
son says when he first discovered it,tho |
entire interior of the building was I
like a roaring furnace. A number of
people think the place was set on fire
from beneath. Just how it originated
will never be known. The first to dis
cover the lire were the Great Northern
oar inspecting crew, John Nelson and
Jay WyckolT, who gave the first alarm.
At the time the writer got there about
live o'clock, the American hotel which
adjoins the hall on the west was on fire
iind'of course without water" or lire
lighting appliances of any kind it was
idle to think of saving any of the build
ings in the path of the Humes as they
were all frame and of course dry.
When the firo reached the Overland
hotel 11 half hearted effort was made to
save it but with little water and no
organization it was not possible to do
much. When one stops to think how
easily not only the Overland hotel but
Bloom'! market and Plisch & Bliss's
Ixiilding might have been saved, had
the town been provided with some kind
of fire protection it would appear as if
the town could be indicted tor criminal
negligence.
A Spci'tululur DlNplay
Considered purely from the pictorial
standpoint the lire has never" been
equalled in this state. It was theatrically
a spectacular masterpiece. The people
looked upon it with an appreciation of
its tragic character. Those who took
up positions on high elevations and
. some distance away saw the buildings j
j^converted into a pillar of flame that
seemed itself to be on the point of top
pling. Such was the effect of the
fluttering mass of lurid light that
played around it from the base to a
point far above the roofs. ■ Those who
ifxtf their station so that the broad
strwtch of the valley was before them,
.seejnied to bo in the midst of a blaze,
if •-, included every building within
■ vit i, for ilames danced in every
"fMiow in reflected beauty, Mid the
sky gave out the hues of a tropical
■sunsjt a thousand times intensified.
.. A Picture of I HIT Mill
By six o'clock the people who stood
without the fire lines along the street
were regaled with a view of ruin such
sis is seldom seen in a small community.
Only two chimneys remained and only
for a moment when they too toppled
over and nothing but a black smoulder
ing ruin remained and for the third
time the people of this city have been
warned that a first class system of
water work* for lire purposes must be
had and at once.
• While the Overland hotel, which was
the largest and highest was burning
the Great Northern depot was threaten
ed. The Jap section hands were kept
busy shovelling snow on the roof and
thus kept it from catching fire until the
fire burned down, and in a short space
of time was out of danger. At the
.same time L. H. Laden, Jay Wyokoff
and Harry Curtis were working like i
Trojans to save the store room belong
ing to the car department, situated just
/-4tt of \\t depot jay \Vy.*i>ff who..
Leavenworth, Wash., Friday, January 29, 1904.
the roof with a hose plnying upon the
building despite his effort* at times the
roof was smoking but the boys below
were doing good work with buckets
and kept the sides wet down and saved
the building with its contents.
The buildings destroyed were six in
number. Commencing with the
Lobby saloon, which is at the *est
end of the row, and which belonged to
W. W. Walker, loss on building and
fixtures *2,700; on. stock, Si/iOO. In
surance $1,500.
M. H. Cahill, American hotel, loss
on building, $2,f>00, on stock and furni
ture $1,000. No insurance.
Adams & Burkes Hall. Loss on
building $-2,O0l). Insurance $1,000.
Plisch * Bliss, dealers in general
merchandise. .Loss on buildiun and
fixtures 81,000; ou stock $o,r>oo. In
surance 88,000, L. W. Bloom, meat
market. Loss on fixtures and stock
$1,200. Insurance $400.
John Bjork, Overland hotel and
building in which meat market was
located. Loi-.s on buildings (3,800, on
furniture and hotel fixtures $1,500. No
Insurance*
About two hundred dollars damage
to the roof of the Adams & Burke build
ing. Fully covered by insurance.
Fortunately there was no wind at the
lime or the fire would have .spread to
adjoining buildings. TJie Adams &
Burke saloon building, which is brick
and was completed about December
lirst last acted as a barrier and stopped
the further progress of tlie lire. In
the same block, east of the Adams &
Burke building are three other frame
building! which owe their salvation to
the brick.
On Monday morning Pllsch & Bl.ss
promptly began the erection of a
temporary frame building which will
be ready for occupancy by the last of
the week.
L. W. Bloom will also begin at once
the erection of a new market. Others
have not fully decided yet what they
will do.
lii'inlnlM rut.
The lirst lire in Leavenworth that tlr>
oldest inhabitant remembers occurred
iv November 181)4. A frame building
on the big rock corner, occupied jointly
by Hill .lames with a barber shop and
T. C. Owens jeweler was burned. The
loss was small and there was no insur
ance.
'The next fire occurred on Thanksgiv
ing day In 1890, and was almost a knock
out for the town and some of its people.
Seven buildings were consumed, all oc
cupied, and not a dollar'of 4 insurance
on either buildings or contents. , The
buildings were all located in the same
block whore the »first fire occurred and
also where k the fire of last Sunday
morning took f*rplace. -lohn Hjork's
Ovcrlaud Hotel, l Bisbee A x Donahoe's
saloon, Posey'i barber shop, Sererton's
saloon, Mr*. H. A. Anderson's restau
rant, J. M. Duffy's (Saloon mid a dwel
ling occupied;^ by Mr. 'Bglvel^John
Bjork was one of the heaviest lowers in
this fire, which started in his hotel, and
he saved nothing and carried no insur
ance. His losaalone was close toileven
thousand dollars on building and fur
niture
So far us we have been able to learn
there was uo insurance on any of the
property destroyed in this lire. With
one exception however all managed to
rebuild and go into business again, and
on last Sunday morning the tire swept
over almost thes*anie,f ground 'j The
lots by this fire ha* been variously esti
mated at from $2S,ooo'to 180,000dollaas.
The next fire occurred on Sunday'
afternoon, Dec. 28th, 1902. The suffer
ers by this lire were G. C. Merriam,
dealer if? cpiicv?il; m<'rpliiindis<','jyhose
loss (ill stock and building was over
$'-.'O,OOO, without insurance. Mrs. Bea
mish, millinery: IMH small. No insur
ance. .1. W. Poag-. restaurant and con
fectionary; hJM "» •took and fixtures
estimated at $(i()0. No insurance. Dr.
Hoxsey, loss on library and instru
ments about $800. No insurance. C.
C. Christensen owned the building In
which the millinery store was located,
and carried no insurance.
As near as the Echo reporter could
the historical fnets in regard ii>
the tires that have visited this town
from such old-timers as John Bjork,
Talk Smith, ('•. C. Mcrriam and Mrs.
H. A. Anderson, they are hero letdown
with the hope that they may pr«»\e in
teresting to the old-time residents. No
doubt the perusal will recall many lon^
forgotten incidents, somo that, will lie
remembered With pleasure while others
will cause pain and regret, Ah, well!
Of such is the thread of life spun.
Mr. Al Ililbron, of Mission, spent
Sunday last in town.
,T. L. Wheeler left Tuesday for We
natchee on business.
Old papers for sale at this office. 2'h;
per hundred, all sizes.
For fjood bargains in real estate call
at the Echo business office.
Mr. T. Morarily, of Everett, made a
business trip to to town last Tuesday,
Mr. Hicharils proprietor of the We
natehee bakery was in town Monday on
business.
Unless a long cold snap arrives soon
ico will have to be shipped in for next
summer's consumption.
The west bound passenger trains
were delayed the forepart of the week
on account of snow in Montana.
John Henry the genial road master
of the Cascade division made this office
a pleasant visit last Thursday.
A good eighty aero ranch for sale at
a bargain, close in. Call at the Echo
ofllce for further particulars.
George L. llopp, who recently bought
out Messrs. Dully & Bloom Will shortly
move his family to Leavenworth.
Found —And left at this office a gold
ring which owner can have by describ
ing and payingl for this notice.
Home seekers rates will go into pflfecl
March 1. The Great Northern expects
to carry more home seekers than ever
before.
If you don't think the growth of the
Echo will keep pace with tlio growth of
the town, iust watch and pray, but be
sure to watch.
C. W. Gibbs, one of the prosperous
ranchers from Peshastin, was in the
city Tuesday and had his name enroll
ed on the Echo list.
Fred Staub one of the employees at
the Lamb-Davis Mill had his foot very
severely mashed by a heavy timber fal
ling on it this morning.
Ira D. Kdwards, of Wenatchee, was
in our town last Monday settling his
fire losses in Lcavenwortli's last blaze
and while here called on the Echo.
Mr. Hugh Buchanan departed last
Thursday for Alberta, Canada, where
he expects to take up a homestead and
settle down to the quiet life of a far
mer.
Mr. F. Lane, of Seattle, passed
through on his way to Wenalchee, his
former home. Mr. Lane met a num
ber of friends while the engine was be
ing changed.
Business on the Great Northern has
picked up considerable the past week
due the fact that wheat is moving more
rapidly. The farmers have shown a
willingness to sell.
E. It. Bell, of St. Paul, a decorator
and house furnisher, arrival in town
the forepart of the week and may con
clude to settle here, at present he is vis
iting with his sister, Mrs. Frank Sut
ton.
W« regret to state that Mrs.Kd Mills,
the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.
J. Martin, was taken with diphtheria
lust Monday. The lady is at the home
of her parents and is rapiilly recover
ing.
The Forresters lost their charter and
a picture of the founders of the order
in iho fire of Sunday morning. Fortu
nately F. S. Taylor had the balance of
the paraphernalia in his store and it
whs saved.
O. C. Moore, of Spokane, has been
here for the past ten dajs relieving the
Great Northern storekeeper, A Walk
er, who has been (juarantined fin ac
count of diphtheria but Is now out
iiyain, his children having recovered.
A Handsome Boy
EDWJN WYCKOFF, Two and a half years old.
The. little daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
E. L. Sprague met wit]b a mishap last
Monday morning. The little lady trip
ped and striking her face against some
furniture out a deep gash over the right
eye. Five stitches were taken and she
is now doing well.
"Unclo'Dick Giblin arrived here last
Sunday to visit his numerous friends.
Ho was enroute to his home at Chiwau
kum from Wenatchoe where he had
been visiting for some three weeks.
He becamo a member of the Eastern ,
Star.
The local lodge Degree of Honor will
not give the dance scheduled for Feb.
15, a notice of which appeared In last
wteje's issue. This step has been found
necaisary owing to the burning of the
hall last Sunday.
Among the Wenatchee people who
came up on the band excursion aud cal
led on the Echo were: Major Lindsey
and wife, Leonard Fowler, of the Re
public, Ed Ferguson, Mrs. Cole Web
ster and Henry Crass.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. FrUld de
parted the first of the week for Seattle
where Mr. Fridd has accepted a posit
ion. They closed their bakery owing
Mrs. Fridd's hcatlh, she being troubled
with rheumatism. The best wishes of
their many friends go with them to
their now home.
The family of Mr. Huxtable have had
diphtheria for sometime. The children
are improving and out of danger. The
mother was taken down with the disease
last Sunday and this makes it very hard
on the family. Mrs. A. J. Martin is
nursing the family and if good care will
pull them through Mrs. Martin will do
it.
I'lisch & Bliss, the energetic and en
terprising business men of this city who
were burned cut in the big lire last
Sunday started iv Monday morning to
build a temporary building and will be
in business again in a day or two. It is
the intention of this enterprising linn to
build a brick building in the spring.
A live business linn can not bedowned.
The Echo acknowledges a pleasant
call from Mrs. .!■ J. Griliith and Mrs.
C. 11. Zinkey, of this place and Mrs.
Thos. Stewart, of Peshastin. Mrs.
Stewart tells the local editor of the
Echo that Peshastin is on the high
load to prosperity and now has three
sawmills, a literary society and a pray
er meeting which meets each week.
Mr. Okey Algreen, of Wellington,
arrived in town last Saturday to see his
girl and visit old acquaintances. He
put up at the Overland hotel and in his
hasty departure forgot a valuable over
coat which was burned in the tire. Mr.
Algreen kubwribed for tive copies of
of the Eoho for which he has the thanki
of the publishers.
The friend* of Mr. and Mrs. C. B.
lleed, of Rock Island, will regret to
learn of the death of their daughter,
Mrs. E. T. Balch, which occured in
Seattle last week. Mr. Dalch is well
known in this city. Mr. Balch and Mr.
and Mr*. Ueed have the sympathy of
their many friends in Leavenworth.
The interment took place at Wenatchee
last Sunday.
The man who advertises gotl the
trade and luu go competition.
$1 00 per Year
,> f ■• t• ! ■ ■ */ >J ft *' '' i- ' r*. »! 1 M ' 1 • -
,'Mr.C. H. Lamb, Minneapolis, Minn.,
Vice J President' of 'J the Lamb-Da
Lumber Company, and G. E. Lamb,
Clinton, lowa, Secretary of the wm«
company, arrived in the oity last Tues
day morning. j They will spend about
a week* in and "around' Leavenworth.
On Wednesday, accompanied by Petrel
Davis, the > General ' Manager for the
company, they drove up to Lake We
natchea, where the company is having
a large and elegant, private hotel built
for tbe use of the member* of the com
pany,'which will be completed' in the
early part of the coming summer. 'l
I,ak<u Wonatchee Is sure to become
quite a resort! for hunters »nd fisher
men, i It has been for a*i}ii»b»r/>f ear*
the resort on each recurj^iig dimmer of
an ever increasing number of seekers
after health and pleasure from the west
side of the mountains who camp about,
the shores of the beautiful lake civ in
the pleasant i summer clays, and [ who
when thoy.rftiirn- to their , homes give
such glowing accounts of the beauty of \
the spot and the delightfully invigorat
ing atmosphere it that results in an in
creased number of visitors the following
year. ; W. T. Blankenship, who owns
a large hay farm on the shores of Lake
Wenatchee is building a large and com
modious hotel near the lake. It will be
on the rustic order and will' be con
structed of hewn logs and j thoroughly
finished and fitted up on the inside.
The Echo is In receipt of J a commu
nication this week from one of its read
ers to which the writer has failed to
put his own proper name. When writing
to us for 'publication you must * sign
your name to your letter. Not' neces
sarily that we may j publish it, though
we would in*,, all cases prefer to do so,
bat that we may lie assured of your good
faith. "'Always sign your name and if
you do not wish it published, say so,
and we will decide if we can print your
matter .without a name to it. ; ;,r :
Subscribe for the Echo and, get all
the important news,personal, social and
general.'*'. ■'• • o.ioa i ,*; :i : ,
Dr. W. M. McCoy's j article in this
issue contains valuable information to
the people and i his advice should bo
taken and acted upon. ]; t>'i.;j;l
Tumwater Lodge, No. 71, A. O. U.
W. held a very interesting meeting last
Wednesday- night. A large -r number
turned out and a good; time was had/
Mr.Frank Sulton was initiated into th/«
mysteries of the order. • It was de< ii I
to hold asocial meeting on the cvenituf
of February 10 when a reception will Ml
tendered the members of the Degree of\
Honor and their .families. It will be a
reunion of the two lodges, and the en
tire evening will be given up to enter
taining the ladies.. It is, expected that
that both lodges will ! turn out In large
numbers. A banquet will be an attract
tion.— Two -applications' for member
ship are awaiting action..; Mr. A. M.
Phelan presented the members of the
the lodge with a box of choice Havana
cigars and at the conclusion of the meet
ing a smoker was enjoyed by those for
tunate enough to be •: present. The
social meetings will be held often in the
future It is intended to bold joint
meetings with the ladles of the -Degree
each month.! 'U, tiso fag i';,' U. f
Mr. Bosford, of Wenatchee, arrived
in town the first of the week and may
decide' to reside here in the future.
' Keep posted on what is going on in
this city and district. •> Thii can only bo.
done by subscribing for the Echo, only
$1.00 per year."
