Historic Hotel Fires in Greenwood
BY: BG EDITOR
Apr 15, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)
Today we begin a series on some of the great fires that destroyed hotels in historic Greenwood. Then, as now, fire protection and response was of the utmost importance. Greenwood city council members and leading businessmen went to great effort to put systems and manpower in place that could safekeep the town.
By the end of the first decade of the 1900s, Greenwood's fire systems were quite comprehensive, as described in this article from a 1908 edition of the Boundary Creek Times:[1]
PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE
Greenwood's Water Pressure As Good as Many Large Cities
"In the light of the recent disastrous fire at Grand Forks [in which many hotels burned down], the question raised by a local contemporary as to the condition of Greenwood's fire fighting apparatus is important. It may be added that investigation finds this highly necessary equipment in a fully satisfactory condition and the fire and light committee of the council alive to their responsibilities and the needs of the community.
Greenwood has a constant available reserve water supply today of 380,000 gallons and a pressure which varies from a 100 to 140 pounds according to the elevation of the hydrants. To empty the Twin creek reservoir alone, with a one inch stream and with no water coming in, would take over 10 hours. It contains 200,000 gallons, and as a matter of fact, there is a constant stream of water entering it.
The pressure on Copper street and in the places where it is most needed is from 122 to 135 pounds; at the school house and at the south end of the town it runs up to 138 or 140 lbs. The lowest pressure is near the City Hall, where the buildings are not situated closely to one another and where fire fighting would be easy.
The city has 18 hydrants, which are tested frequently in the winter time, and used by the sprinkling cart constantly in the summer time. There are eight alarm boxes, which are tested on an average of once a week, a test being put on this service every night in ringing the curfew. The letter of the Fire Chief, published in this issue, gives a clear statement of the care with which the hose and other apparatus of the Brigade is examined.
The Fire and Light committee has now under order considerable new equipment and is making investigations regarding other purchases. Some new nozzles, appliances for handling the hose, and a ladder truck are under order. Some new hose, which the committee are purchasing, will allow the supply of eight streams of water on Copper street.
The Fire Chief, when asked of any improvements that might be made, said that the committee had given the Brigade a more kindly hearing this year than usual, and were considering the purchase of a Deluge set which would give a service quite as effective as that supplied by the water towers in the big cities. Including the expenditure amounting to about $300, now being undertaken in purchasing the ladder truck, etc., $600 would give the Brigade a first-class equipment.
The Fire Chief would advise the placing of a few more hydrants, one on the corner at the Pioneer Hotel, to get at the back of the buildings on Copper street, and one on Silver street, near Cropley's old feed store. It is much cheaper to place hydrants than to buy long strings of hose and it gives a quicker and more effective service.
Comparing the service as to pressure, etc., with that of other places, the Chief thought that Greenwood by its natural situation had a pressure that could be found even in very few large cities and one that should give the citizens cause for satisfaction. Everyone feels, however, that the Council should not stint themselves in any way in the spending of a few hundred dollars to make security doubly sure in the matter of fire protection. A few hundred dollars spent in making the city's equipment first class and in reimbursing the brigade for practice might save a heavy loss whenever a fire does occur."
In the year prior[2] to the above inventory of city fire protection, the requests put upon council included 100' of rope for the hose wagon for use on high buildings, painting of the hose sleighs, and a man-power hook and ladder truck fitted with ladders for reaching two or more story buildings. The 'fire laddies' also asked that the walls of their sleeping quarters be given a good sanitary cleaning.
Even ten years before this time, when Greenwood was in its infancy, the city fathers were seriously focused the need for fire protection. Long before the above described hydrants could be put in place, a waterworks system comprised of piping had to put in. This infrastructure represents the foundation of the city's earliest fire protection system.
As described below in a November 1897 report from the Times, [3] water was to be channeled from a dam situated a quarter of a mile above the city, with 8" pipes branching through Greenwoods central core. From the pipes, water could be fed to the many hydrants.
WATERWORKS ASSURED
"Greenwood is going to have a system of waterworks before Christmas. The Greenwood City Waterworks Company have so decided, and as Mayor Wood and Ald. Galloway are the principal shareholders in the company, the citizens feel assured that their decision will be carried into effect. The work will be commenced immediately. Mr. C. Æ Shaw, C. E. has secured the necessary levels for the pipe lines and Ald. Galloway is calling for tenders for excavating the necessary trenches for the pipes. Pipe of the very best quality has been ordered from Spokane and will be brought here as quickly as the freight teams can haul it from Marcus.
The system contemplated is chiefly for fire protection purposes and will be laid with a view to extending it with the growth of the city. From the dam, about one-quarter of a mile above the city, an eight-inch pipe will be laid along Greenwood street to Government and Copper streets. Then branches will be run on Copper and Government streets for 600 feet on either side of Greenwood street. This will carry the system to Mr. Walsh's building on Copper street south and beyond Mr. Butler's harness shop north and on Government street the pipe will extend to the furtherest building's on both sides of Greenwood street.
The pipes on Government and Copper streets will be four inches in diameter. Hydrants will be placed at different points on both streets and sufficiently frequent to insure that no building will be destroyed by fire if water can prevent it.
The company will of course make connections with residences and hotels if the owners so desire. There are four or five establishments in the city that are anxious to use waterwheels and those will mean a considerable revenue to the company.
The dam on Twin creek is partially completed and with the expenditure of a small amount of money can be made sufficiently safe to hold a large volume of water. The dam is at such a high altitude that water from a nozzle will knock the shingles off any roof in the city. The city council will necessarily purchase a good supply of hose before the system is completed. Then there will be only a few of the houses on the outskirts of the town that cannot be reached in case of fires.
The decision of the company to begin work immediately is gratifying news to the citizens. It shows a confidence in the city, will insure more liberal treatment from insurance companies, and it will mean the expenditure of money and the employment of a large number of men. With a good water system Greenwood will also be a more desirable place to live in and owners of real estate will have another inducement for expending money in improvements."
While the Waterworks project begun In November 1897 sounded promising, just over a year later some were taking a more dim view of the endeavour. It appears the Waterworks installation was being hampered by delays in shipment of the needed pipe, humorously described in this December 1898 report in the Times:[4]
FIRE PROTECTION
"The Greenwood street flume has destroyed the efficient system of fire protection which did duty in Greenwood during the summer. The duty which the flume is supposed to perform is to carry off the surplus water after the eight-inch pipe is filled from the large and well-constructed reservoir. The eight-inch pipe is snowed under in Dakota, or has been stolen by Montana cowboys. In consequence of this absence of pipe, the waters of Twin are being utilized to keep the trench clear. The result is that it is impossible to secure a bucket of water anywhere along the flume, and Boundary creek is the nearest point from which water can be taken.
In the palmy days of last summer the volunteer fire department built dams and damlets along Twin creek so that the bucket brigade might have plenty of water at their disposal. Should a fire start in the city under present conditions, the bucket brigade would have to do other duties' besides handling water. In the absence of water pipe, we humbly offer the suggestion that a small reservoir be built at the corner of Greenwood and Copper streets, so that when the opportunity presents itself the bucket brigade may show the benefits of regular training."
Unfortunately, just six months later, the citizens of Greenwood experienced the grave importance of getting these fire protection systems in place, when a fire devastated two of the city's new hotels. The destruction of the Clarendon and International hotels is described in this June 24, 1899 edition of the Times:[5]
A SERIOUS FIRE. TWO HOTELS CONSUMED
The Clarendon and International Completely Destroyed. — Luckenbel's Assay Office also Consumed. The Whole, City had a Narrow Escape — Good Work by the Volunteer Fire Department.
"A fire which seriously threatened the total destruction of the business portion of the city started underneath the Clarenden hotel building at an early hour on Sunday morning. Night Watchman McKenzie turned in the alarm at 2:30 o'clock. At that time the fire was working along the walls of the building and shortly afterwards they broke out and the entire building was a mass of flames.
The volunteer fire department assisted by others were soon on the ground. A line of hose was run from the hydrant above Government street and a stream of water was kept continuously on the flames. The fire had too much headway however and was only stopped by the vacant lot between the International and the Arlington hotel.
Between the International hotel and the Clarendon was a small frame building owned by W. M. Miller and used as an assay office by J. C Luckenbel. It was soon a mass of flames and served as a connecting link between the Clarendon and the International.
An alarm was raised that dynamite was stored in the assay office and the large crowd soon moved back to a safe distance. The alarm was groundless as no powder was stored in the assay office.
The Clarendon building burned quickly and the firemen turned their attention to saving the International but with one stream of water this was impossible. The suggestion was offered that the International hotel building should be blown up with a view to keep the fire from spreading, but the suggestion was not adopted.
By the time the International was burning, the street had become blocked with people. There was an anxious look on most of the f aces because if was felt that the vacant lot between the International and the Arlington would not stop the progress of the flames. Had the Arlington caught the business portion of the town was doomed. From the Arlington to Greenwood street, there is no vacent space save where the Guess building is being erected.
Merchants were busy removing goods from their stores, feeling certain that the flames could not be checked. To show that there was great danger it is only necessary to state that the heat was so great that A. H. Sperry & Co's store, across the street from the Clarendon, caught fire but the hose was temporarily turned on and the blaze was quenched. Wet tents kept on the roof prevented this building catching a second time.
The volunteer fire department did good work on the International building. They persistently fought the flames. They were handicapped by having only one stream but this they used with good effect on the side of the building nearest the Arlington. This side of the building is still standing — strong evidence of the merits of a good force of water well applied.
The origin of the fire is a matter of doubt. The Clarendon Cafe had been closed at eleven o'clock Saturday night and there was no fire in the range. The fire started underneath the building. It may possibly have been the work of an incendiary. The losses are heavy. E. Escalet, the caterer, is probably the heaviest loser. He had built up a large business, and was getting well established when everything was wiped out. He and his family had barely time to escape with their lives, and lost all their personal effects. Escalet's loss in connection with the cafe is about $2,500, and he carried no insurance.
The Clarendon Hotel company, at the head of which is D. W. Morgan of Rossland, are also heavy losers. They had the place elaborately fitted up, and carried a large stock of the very best liquors and cigars. The day before the fire a carload of supplies arrived, and was stored in the building only to be consumed. Their loss is about $7,000. They carried only $2,500 insurance with the Imperial company — Porter & Cunningham, agents.
The Clarendon building was owned by T. Walsh. It was built this year at a cost of $4,000, and was insured for $2,000 with the Imperial company. Wm. Miller had no insurance on his building, which was worth about $300. J. C. Luckenbel's loss is about $600. His insurance was $250 with the National Insurance company of Ireland — Mowat & Palmer, agents. The International Hotel building and the furniture was owned by Louis Bosshart. The hotel was one of the oldest in the city. It cost more than it could be replaced for today. …
The fire was not without its amusing incidents. Many of the spectators looked exceedingly picturesque in their hastily-donned garments. The efforts to save household effects were sometimes ludicrous in the extreme. Bedclothes and other apparel were carefully carried down the stairs, while the beds, crockery, and glassware were thrown through the windows, to be broken on the street below.
Some of the firemen narrowly escaped injury. They were standing on the International Hotel veranda when it gave way. Fortunately they escaped without serious injury. Thos. Walsh lost all his papers and personal effects. A gold watch belonging to Mr. Walsh was afterwards found in the ruins. There were scarcely any of it left save the hands. They pointed to ten minutes to three o'clock. The ruins of the watch have been secured by D.W. Morgan as a memento of the fire."
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