The Goldendale Sentinel, Goldendale, WA., August 3, 1939, page 1
FIRE DESTROYS KLICKITAT PINE BOX CO. SAWMILL
Negotiations Begun For Lease Of Another Plant; Factory Runs
Blaze Started From Overheated Bearing in Wood Plant; Unofficial Estimates
Place Loss At From $15,000 To $20,000; Spectacular Conflagration Started
At 2:30 a.m.
Fire that apparently started from an overheated bearing
completely destroyed the Klickitat Pine Box company sawmill early Wednesday
morning. The blaze which broke out in the wood plant of the mill about 2:30
a.m., was completely out of control before the fire department could get
water to the fire.
The blaze was confined entirely to the sawmill. The Klickitat
Pine Box company's box factory plant continued operation today. According
to Phil Hingston, manager of the company, the box factory has a supply of
lumber available sufficient to continue operations. The fire was kept isolated
in the burning mill and did no damage to the dry lumber piled in the nearby
yard.
Damage to the mill which was covered by insurance, was
unofficially estimated at from $15,000 to $20,000. The fire with will cause
the temporary lay-off of about 50 men employed on the two mill shifts and
wood crew, Hingston said.
Negotiations are underway to immediately resume sawing
operations at the plant mill and with portable sawmill equipment now owned
by the company. Definite plans of the Klickitat Pine Box company regarding
rebuilding of the burned-out plant will be announced later.
Melford Hamllik, night watchman at the mill, discovered
the blaze at about 2:30 am. He sounded the mill whistle to arouse the alarm.
By the time the fire department and mill crews could arrive at the blaze
had reached the main part of the mill and was well out of control.
The night shift at the sawmill had gone home less than
half an hour before the fire broke out. Several hundred Goldendale people
gathered at the scene of the fire shortly after the alarm sounded.
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© Jeffrey L. Elmer