ktfire.html

The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., August 3, 1928, page 1

DISASTROUS FIRE AT KLICKITAT ON LAST SUNDAY MORNING

     Some $20,000 damage was wrought by fire at Klickitat last Sunday morning. It swept through a part of the business section. Only untiring efforts of a volunteer fire fighting squad prevented a much greater loss by saving adjacent buildings.
     Business places destroyed were the Peterson pool hall, $6,000; Home café, $1,000; Brown barber shop, $150; White's dance hall, $3,000; Peterson restaurant, $2,000; Stoll residence, $700; two of J. Neils houses, $1,800; and other buildings where the fire started.
     About 150 men of the J. Neils Lumber Co. are this week eating home cooked meals, as a result of Sunday's big fire. Included among the burned buildings was the town's two restaurants, owned by Mrs. Lennons. So the men, accustomed to eating at her places, are now being carried for temporarily by families of the town. It is stated that Mrs. Lennons had no insurance, and everything she had burned.
     One volunteer fireman, named Milsap, fell from the roof and is dangerously injured. He is not expected to recover.
     It is reported that lack of water at the first alarm prevented the firefighters from putting out the blaze when it was small. Later investigations, it is stated, brought to light that the town's new water system had not been connected with the old system, due to a lack of a small piece of pipe. This caused the trouble.
     This is the second large fire at are neighboring town, the first being the destruction by fire of the big mill of the J. Neils Lumber Company, several months ago. The mill has been rebuilt, on a much larger scale, and was in no danger during Sunday's blaze.

[HOME]
©  Jeffrey L. Elmer