South Bend’s Mill Burns While the Hose Company Stays Home

SOUTH BEND, Sept. 15.—[Special.]—Last night the shingle mill and large dry house of the Willapa Cedar Lumber Company were burned to the ground. In the latter were five car loads of shingles, also destroyed. The fire was found in the rafters over the boiler by the watchman at about 11 o'clock. Without giving any alarm he began fighting it, but it got beyond his control. A falling timber caught the whistle cord and the whistle blew and roused the town. As the hose company of the lower mill failed to turn out at all there was not enough hose by about 900 feet to reach the fire, and the whole plant was destroyed before the helpless firemen's eyes. It is thought that the fire was incendiary in its origin, as the dry house, 100 yards away from the mill, caught almost simultaneously, and a blazing ball of waste soaked in kerosene was found inside. Twice before mysterious fires have been found in the mill. What object an incendiary could have cannot be imagined. Extensive improvements and enlargement of the plant had just been decided upon. The capacity of the burned mill was 130,000 daily, and the dry house was one of the finest and second largest in the state. The loss of the mill will be a serious blow to the town as well as to the owners. The loss is estimated at $12,000. The owners live in Seattle, and it is not known whether it was insured or for how much, if at all.