Fire Still a Mystery
Certain That it Was Not Due to Faulty Wiring ... Will Resume Business Monday.
Davis County Clipper, 5 March 1909, page 1
The origin of the opera house fire in Bountiful last Friday is still a mystery. One thing is certain, however, and that is that it was not set by the electric light wires.
Last week, we understand that no one was able to enter the opera house after the fire was discovered but since we have learned that William Doxey, Albert Burningham, Charles R. Mabey, C. H. Rampton and wife entered the room from the front stairway. Mrs. Rampton was so overcome when she beheld the sight that she fell to the floor. Her husband and Mr. Mabey took her out of the building, and Messrs. Doxey and Burningham proceeded up to the fountain by the stage on their hands and knees, to keep below the dense smoke which hung down level with the chairs. They fastened the hose which Mr. Rampton kept ready in case of fire, to the pipe upstairs, but the water happened to be shut off below and they were unable to make any one hear downstairs to turn it on.
Mr. Doxey is confident they could have saved the building with the little hose if they could have gotten the water. The stage was not burning so fierce but that they could have put the fire out with a coat or something but it was the fire in the roof that they could not reach only with water from the hose.
Mr. Rampton expects to open up next Monday in the building formerly occupied by the William Rampton Furniture Co., where he will carry on business until his store can be rebuilt.
Last week, we understand that no one was able to enter the opera house after the fire was discovered but since we have learned that William Doxey, Albert Burningham, Charles R. Mabey, C. H. Rampton and wife entered the room from the front stairway. Mrs. Rampton was so overcome when she beheld the sight that she fell to the floor. Her husband and Mr. Mabey took her out of the building, and Messrs. Doxey and Burningham proceeded up to the fountain by the stage on their hands and knees, to keep below the dense smoke which hung down level with the chairs. They fastened the hose which Mr. Rampton kept ready in case of fire, to the pipe upstairs, but the water happened to be shut off below and they were unable to make any one hear downstairs to turn it on.
Mr. Doxey is confident they could have saved the building with the little hose if they could have gotten the water. The stage was not burning so fierce but that they could have put the fire out with a coat or something but it was the fire in the roof that they could not reach only with water from the hose.
Mr. Rampton expects to open up next Monday in the building formerly occupied by the William Rampton Furniture Co., where he will carry on business until his store can be rebuilt.