FIRE SWEEPS VALDEZ
NEARLY ENTIRE BUSINESS SECTION OF THE CITY WIPED OUT
A fire which started at 4 o’clock
this morning in the rear of the Frye
Bruhn building swept the business
section of the town, leaving it a waste
of twisted iron and burning debris.
The loss is estimated at over $350,000
only a small part of which is covered
with insurance.
The fire spread with great rapidity
and the Frye-Bruhn building, the Em
press theater and the Carlson saloon
was ra mass of flames before the water
was turned on the building. The
flames soon worked back against the
wind into the Blackwell building and
across Wall street and setting the
postoffice and the government ware
house on fire, then turning south the
blaze swept the buildings on, both
sides of Wall street, wiping out the
Valdez Dock company office, the C. E
Bunnell office, the Reed building, the
Road Commission, Mrs. St. Marie’s,
The Panama, The Prospector, Sheet
Big Show To-Night
AT THE
Liberty Theatre
Arcade Cafe
Open untill 0 P. M.
Try Our Specials After 4 P. ML
Private Tables
Jack CaMn Proprietor
Valdes Lodge
No 168
Free and Accepted Mason*
Regular Communications drsi Wednesday to
each month in MoKiniev H-ul V.s.tors always
weleome.
A. E GRUBBY w. M.
Ed Wood. Sec-,
Copper River
Draying Co
Freighting and Passengers
to all parts of the Interior.
GENERAL TRUCKING.
McKinley Street, Valdez
Ed Wood. * Proprietor
*
Metal Works, the buildings on Kront
street, the Olson shop, the Wheat
building, the Copper River Lumber
Yard and the mill and office, the Mar
tin buildings, the Ganty office, the
big publishing plant of the Daily Pros
pector and Weekly Miner, the Craw
ford mill with its $50,000 worth of high
class machinery, the Crawford flats
and the Telephone Exchange.
The flames worked brick against the
wind, gutting the S. Blum menchant
ine store, one of the finest in Alaska
recently completed at a cost of $30,000,
and containing a store of merchandise
valued at between $75,000 to $100,000.
The Arcade building and the Cliff
House were both saved
Thb Losses.
8. Blum & Co., $126,000.
First Bank of Valdez, $16,000.
Mrs. Blackwell, $20,000.
Frye-Bruhn Co., $10,000.
The Empress Theatre, buildiug and
films, $20,000.
Baggett building, $400.
Tony’s corner, $20,000.
Andy Dieringer, office and home,
$5,000.
Harrington Hall, $3,000.
Andy Dieringer, St. Marie building,
$6,000.'
Skating Rink, $2,000.
' Andy Dieringer, barn and contents,
$6,000.
Fish cabins, $300.
Mrs, St. Marie, $3,000.
George White office, $1,000.
J. L. Reed, building and library*
$4,000.
Larson building, $600.
C. E. Bunnell, office building and
law library, $10,000.
E. B. Wheat residence, $1,600.
C. E. Bunnell, Valdez Sheet Metal
W'orks building, $5,000.
Charles Gant.y, office and contents.
$1,000.
J. M. Lathrop, dock, ogice and con
tents, $25,000.
J. M. Latbrop, Prospector building,
$3,000.
Prospector Publishing Co., $10,000.
Archibald building, $20,000.
Contents Valdez Sheet Metal Works,
$4,000.
J. C. Martin residences, $4,000.
Postoffice building and contents,
$10,000.
Olson building, $750.
Copper River Lumber Co., $25,000.
Crawford buildings and machinery,
$35,000.
Ceorge Treat, Cameron tailor shop,!
Valdez Real Estate office and barber
shop, $2,000.
The Road Commission building,
Treat and Smith, owners, $5,000.
Sam McNiece, $500.
Road Commission office fixtures,
$2,000.
Charles Day building, $2,000.
A. W., L. & T. Co., street wires
fixtures and office building, $10,000.
Wm. Finical, $1,000.
The Giles building, $500.
Hepfinger & Golden, $1,000.
Losses were also suffered by the
Valdez Drug building, the Seattle Ho
tel and the big Valdez Mercantile
building.
Notes.
Many boats were burned when the
flames reached the waterfront. The
tide was out and tne launches could
not seek safety in flight.
Capt. Morris saved the Three M
which was lied up to the mill wharf.
The City Express operated free to
day.
The Valdez Transfer (Jo., is on the
job and doing business. '
Mrs. St. Marie saved' but little of
her furniture and dishes. The things
rescued from the building were later
burned on the mill dock.
Mrs. Chas. Crawford lost nearly all
her household goods.
A number of the roomers in Tony’s
Place lost their clothing and effects.
Mrs. Blackwell, her sister and niece
were forced to flee in their night
clothes and saved nothing.
Capt, and Mrs. Edgerton saved but
little of their personal effects in the
Lathrop building.
Mrs. Chas. Bush saved the baby and
a few other little things from her
rooms in the Crawford building.
Chief U. S. Deputy Marshal Bouse
and his assistants did good work at
the fire. The boys from the jail help
ed to work the hand pump.
Most of the men in town willingly
helped to save the goods of the people
whose buildings were in the path of
the flames.
Dan Sheehan, Robert Kelsey, Har
land Heesler, J. C. Martin and C. 0.
Wulff saved enough of the Prospector
type to allow for the getting out of
this paper, with the assistance of a
borrowed press.
Alice Coles, the postal clerk, broke
her leg running to the postofflce to
help save the mail.
Postmaster Jefferson saved all the
mail and has opened a new office in
the Shephard building, near the Tilli
kum Club.
Sam Blum will come from Cordova
on the Admiral Evans to arrange for
the rebuilding of his store and bank.
McKinley street will be rebuilt im
mediately and will be the finest street
in Alaska.
OFFERS OF AID
Acting Mayor Ed. Wood received
from Mayor H. A. Slater, of Cordova,
a telegram offering to send any aid
in the power of the people of the rail
road town to the people of Valdez be
cause of the loss of the business sec
tion of the town. Mayor Wood has
thanked the mayor of Cordova and
replied that nothing was needed and
that Valdez would be able to meet the
crisis unaided. Mayor Slater sent the
sympathy of the people of the rail
road town upon the loss.
Mayor C. A. Meyers* of Seward, has
also extended the sympathy of the
people of Seward and says that they
stand ready to render any assistance
needed. This telegram has also been
answered by the acting mayor with
the thanks and appreciation of the
people of Valdez at the loyal and
prompt offef of assistance. Tne Sew
ard Commercial Club also offered to
aid in every possible way. Neighbors,
we thank you for your kind offer.
LOCAL BRIVITIEW.
Love-Whitley still sell ice.
Representative Daly arrived today
from Fairbanks.
Mrs. Chas. Bush will leave on the
Admiral Evans for Anchorage.
Sam Blum, the Valdez and Cordova
banker, that he will rebuild at once.
The Valdez Dock company will
build a fine office as soon as the nec
essary lumber arrives.
The Frye-Bruhn company havenot
iged their local agent, O. A. Borgen,
that they will rebuild at once.
Grover Frame arrived today from
Fairbaks with his Ford car and pas
sengers, making fast time.
An order for 2,50,000 feet of lumber
was sent to Seattle today so that
building material will be here for
those who intend to rebuild.
The steamer Admiral Evans of the
Alaska Steamship Co., is due in Val
dez at 7 this evening having arrived
in Cordova at 11 this morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Finical have taken the
Banta house for the present.
Mr. and Mrs. Andy Dieringer are
the guests of Mrs. Osland.
Mrs. Blackwell, Mrs. Johnson and
Miss Johnson are at the Osland Apts.
“Rowdy” perished in the flames.
Tom Quinn saved his switch board.
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Martin have tak
en the S. Blum residence.
Mrs. Chas. Crawford will be the
guest of her mother-in-law for a few
days.
Bridgeport, Conn., July 15.—The
workers in the Remington Arras fac
tories have gone on strike for higher
wages. The manager of the company,
Major Penfield, charges that German
sympathizers instigated the strike in
an effort tn delay the shipments of
arms to the allies.