Fairbanks, Alaska Fire
May
21, 1906
ALASKA TOWN IS DESTROYED
ONE WOMAN IS BURNED TO DEATH AT FAIRBANKS.
Meager Report Leaves It to Be Inferred That Main
Business Houses Are in Ashes.
Alameda, Cal. – The Northern Commercial
company Wednesday received the following from
its agents at Fairbanks: The entire town from
Turner to Lacey street and back to Third,
except, the Fairbanks Banking company’s building
and warehouse, has been destroyed. One woman,
LOTTA TALBOT,
was burned to death.
Fairbanks is situated on the Chena river, a
tributary of the Tanana, and, although but three
years old, is now the largest and most important
city on the Pacific coast north of Vancouver, B.
C., having a population of about 7,000.
The gold output in 1905 was $7,000,000, and
during the present year it will reach
$12,000,000 to $15,000,000.
The burned district covers three and a half
square blocks. The First National bank, the
Washington Banking company, and the court house,
located in the burned district, probably were
destroyed, as were many of the retail stores and
saloons and possibly one or two hotels. The most
important of the financial institutions in the
city, the Fairbanks Banking company, is intact.
An unofficial estimate places the loss at
about $1,000,000.
There is no damage of famine, as the
warehouses of the Northern Commercial company,
containing nearly half a million dollars’ worth
of foodstuffs, are uninjured and there is
positive information that four steamers are en
route with additional supplies.
The Grand Rapids Tribune, Grand Rapids, WI
30 May 1906
BUSINESS PART OF FAIRBANKS BURNS
Fire Fighters Make a Heroic Stand in the Big
Warehouse Where Supplies Are Kept But Result is
in Doubt.
SEATTLE, May 22 – A special to the
Post-Intelligencer tonight states that the
entire business section of the town of
Fairbanks, Alaska, was destroyed by a fire which
started in the Fairbanks building, a three story
structure, at 1 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
Details of the disaster are very meager, but it
is feared that the food supply of the town has
been destroyed and great suffering may result.
Nothing was left standing in the section
lying between the water front and Third avenue
and Stavey and Turner streets. The work of the
fire fighters is centered on the block of
warehouses owned by the Northern Commercial
Company, in order to protect the food supply of
the town and the result is still in doubt.
The loss is estimated at a million dollars
and it is announced that the heavier business
interests of the town are already planning to
rebuild. No lives were lost.
Reno Evening Gazette, Reno NV 23 May 1906
FAIRBANKS JAIL WAS DESTROYED
Only One Building Available for Court House
Purposes and for Housing of Prisoners of the
City.
SEATTLE, Wash., May 24. –
United States Marshal
Perry received advices tonight from
Fairbanks that the court house was destroyed by
fire and that only one building was available
for court house and prison purposes. The
combination of the safe was broken during the
fire. There were seventeen federal prisoners at
Fairbanks and Marshal Perry has been besieged
with telegrams from the department of justice
today asking for particulars of them.
Court officials at Fairbanks have been
instructed to secure temporary quarters to house
the prisoners.
Reno Evening Gazette, Reno NV 24 May 1906
Transcribed by
Jenni Lanham. Thank you, Jenni!
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