Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1894 — PREY TO FLAMES. [ARTICLE]

PREY TO FLAMES.

Disastrous Dock Fire Costs Portland, Ore., Over 81,500,000. The most disastrous, fire in the history of Port and, Ore,, broke out Sunday afternoon in the dock of the Pacific Coast Elevator Company, and raged for three hours, destroying property valued at over $1,503,600. The fire department was scattered about the city. looking after the small fires, when the alarm from the elevator was rung in. When the engines arrived the fire was beyond control and in half an hour from the time it started the docks for half a mile were on fire. Nothing could be done but to let the fire burn itself out. 3 he Pacific Elevator Company's mainjbui ding, the coal bunkers of the North Pacific Terminal Company, and the Oregon Railway and. Navigation Company's wharf, 400 feet in length, were distroyed. The elevator contained nearly 500,000 lusheliof wheat. The new plant of the Portland General Electric Company, just arrived from Lynn, Mass., was standing in the yards of the terminal company on the cars, not having been unloaded. The machinery was of the most expensive kind, the most of which was destroyed, and the remainder badly damaged. Two hundred freight cars, nj of which were loaded, were destroyed. The Oregon Railway and Navigation decks held 1,500 tens of freight, consisting cf wood, salmon, general merchandise, and cement, all of which was destroyed with the dock. There were st red on the dock about 12,000 cases of salmon from the lower Columbia River and Puget Sound, awaiting shipment for the East. It was valued at about $40,000, and was paetly insured.