A Massive Warehouse Blaze Leaves Yakima Scrambling
A fire of unknown origin at the Chappell & Cox warehouse caused significant damage to stored furniture, machinery, and agricultural goods.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Early in the morning of Tuesday, Oct 20th, the large warehouse of Chappell & Cox, situated on the west side of the track, caught fire, and, while the building is still standing, it is an almost complete ruin. The fire boys worked systematically and like Trojans, and it was through their untiring efforts that the fire was extinguished and much of the contents of the building saved. It is unknown how the fire started, but the supposition is that it was through the careless throwing down of a lighted cigar or cigarette among the straw and other combustibles that surrounded the building, for when discovered the entire understructure of the building was in flames. Messrs. Chappell & Cox estimate their loss at from two to three thousand dollars over the insurance of $1000 on the warehouse. There was stored in the building much household furniture belonging to various parties, considerable agricultural machinery, the property of Frank Bros., a carload of railroad and ditch tools belonging to Albert Weisner; two billiard tables belonging to J. M. Ashton, one belonging to J. A. Taggert and one to the Churchill estate. Besides these goods carried as storage, Messrs. Chappell & Cox had 16 or 20 farm and spring wagons, a carload of flour, a carload of salt, 800 pounds of oats, 200 bushels of wheat several tons of chop, a number of cases of tea and canned goods, wool sacks and binding twine.
“The fire boys worked systematically and like Trojans, and it was through their untiring efforts that the fire was extinguished.”
Fire was the greatest fear of early commercial hubs built of wood near railroad tracks. This report highlights how the loss of a single warehouse could disrupt the supply chain for furniture, groceries, and tools across an entire growing community.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.