Elleda WilsonFutile attempts

Dec 8—One hundred years ago today, on Dec. 8, 1922, a fire broke out in Astoria. On Dec 9, The Morning Oregonian printed the observations of CC Pelton, of Vancouver, Washington, who was staying at the Weinhard-Astoria Hotel at the time.

“I was awakened about 3:30 am by a heavy pounding on my door, and dressed immediately and went downstairs,” Pelton recalled. “People from the hotel, and from lodging houses and hotels in surrounding buildings, were pouring into the street …”

“… Two entire blocks had already been consumed, and the fire was spreading rapidly. Fire equipment was entirely inadequate and the situation seemed hopeless. Men, women and children crowded the streets close to the flames, watching their property and belongings go up in smoke and unable to lift a hand, hindering, rather than aiding the work of fighting the fire… Just after dawn had broken, about 18 blocks, I estimate, had been razed.

“With a number of others, I attempted to save the stock of a music store which … seemed far away from the path of the flames.” They moved 30 phonographs a block away, then another, then were cut off by flames, and had to leave them.

“… This is just an illustration of how rapidly the flames spread, and of how futile many of the attempts to save property were.

“When morning came, the people were without food for breakfast, in the burning area at least, and mothers with crying children who were seeking refuge made a pitiful sight … I picked up a box of graham crackers which had lodged in some way in a pile of debris and opened it, when I saw a couple of youngsters eyeing the box with hopeful eyes.

He concluded by urging that no one should go to Astoria unless they planned “to be of some definite service.” (Photo: Clatsop County Historical Society)