A Dog's Bark Saves Sleeping Guests as Usk Hotel Burns
A pre-dawn fire consumed a Usk hotel in 1908, forcing guests to flee with little more than what they wore—and leaving the landlord's watch and money behind.
On last Saturday at about 2:30 a.m., the sleeping guests at our hotel were aroused from their slumbers by the loud barking of the dog. Upon awakening they saw that the building was a mass of flames. They had only time to escape with part of their wearing apparel. The landlord even left his vest hanging on the bedpost with his watch and money in it. It is fortunate that the guests escaped with their lives. It was a close call. It was a good building. We understand there was insurance of $3,000 on the house. The contents of the hotel were an entire loss. The origin of the fire is not known.
“They had only time to escape with part of their wearing apparel. The landlord even left his vest hanging on the bedpost with his watch and money in it.”
In 1908 a small wooden hotel could be gone in minutes, and a barking dog was the difference between escape and tragedy. The item is a reminder that rural fire response and insurance—still vital in Pend Oreille County—have always determined whether a community can rebuild after a loss.
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