Halsey, Oregon Fire
August 1921
$15,000 FIRE AT HAESEY [sic] BURNS
CROP
Hundreds of Tons of Hay in Conflagration---Had
Little Insurance
BROWNSVILLE GOES TO AID
Fear Felt That Business Section Would be Wiped
Out
A fire of unknown origin which started in the
O. W. FRUM
warehouse at Halsey at 8 o'clock Sunday night
completely destroying the structure and for a
time threatened to wipe out the business section
of the city. The contents consisted of
approximately 1100 tons of bailed hay, about ten
tons of grain and several pieces of machinery. A
box car on the Southern Pacific railroad was
also destroyed. It is estimated that the loss
was in the neighborhood of $15,000 with only
light insurance on the building and contents.
It is believed that the flames resulted from
spontaneous combustion and probably the only
thing that saved the other buildings in the
business section was the galvanized iron roof of
the warehouse. Streams of water were kept on the
adjoining buildings and while they were smoking
considerable they did not burst into flames.
Calls for help were sent to other towns and
Brownsville, Harrisburg and Corvallis responded.
Fire Chief MILLER
of the Brownsville department was at home when
the call came and he immediately with the
assistance of a number of local men loaded the
hose cart onto the truck owned by
JESS CROMER and
the trip made to Halsey with as little delay as
possible. Arriving at the fire it was found that
nothing could be accomplished, however as the
hydrants at Halsey were smaller than the
Brownsville hose. This was also the case with
Corvallis and Harrisburg.
One person was injured by the fire,
WILL KIRK of
Halsey was knocked down by a live wire and while
he was severly burned he was not seriously
injured.
Brownsville Times, Brownsville, OR 19
Aug 1921
Transcribed by Linda
Houston. Thanks, Linda!
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