vor = meee SRL AE TID ot fon i We Be | an iter, = a to “The cause of the fire was never determined . . . but evidence seemed to point to .. . an iron used press pants of an employee in a room of the third floor of the station.” | Pi oa mourpit : ‘id ; inangeo ell es 7 pond crs | ~~“ i, ie ae Bi. | | | “Er rece pets" was on “On February 13, 1923 the telephone operator of the Ogden Union Station, Fannie McCarty, repor. . . waiter or porter be.a to believed man a when office duty in her second floor switchboard fire ted a fire in one of the hotel rooms. This was at about 7 p.m. Within a few minutes the city the of end southern the of portion good a engulfed had fire but department was at the scene, the station by the time the firemen got there. Helped by a light breeze, the flames spread from southern end to the rooms above the check stand in the main waiting room . . . burning redwood flooring and painted woodwork . . . the clock tower of the depot caught fire . . . a few minutes later the heavy clock mechanism broke loose from the holdings, ripped through the blazing tower and crashed to the ground causing sparks to fly high in the air," said Dr. Roberts. The fire department fought the fire with all of its crews and reserve forces until 2:30 a.m. when the fire was brought under control .. . records and furniture were saved . . . trains moved out on time . . . there was no loss at of life or injuries, but the total loss of the fire to the building and equipment was fixed $100,000.” . | ‘ a “The citizens of Ogden did not mourn the loss of the 36 year old station . . they felt it had served beyond the days of its real usefulness . . . and would now be replaced. or | | t carphimen onpay to (6) 2 = bart ee nina 7 paella ts Ries aa te 7 The | oe ES pos ae four years the station symbolized good and prosperous made surges ahead economically and culturally, and it dto be... “the largest railway center in the West.” lfything was happy, however, there were severe scprecessions, labor unrest and World War |. . . these idexperiences were reflected at the Depot, said Dr. ti he people of Ogden. “During those years Ogden ; OF Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Presidents did decide in favor of a new station. Plans were drawn by John and Donald Parkinson, a Los Angeles architectural firm who had designed over 200 major buildings in the western United States by 1940. The new Union Station was constructed on the site of the old station in 1924 and still stands today. Its architectural design is Italian Renaissance of the style which flourished in the 15th Century in Europe. The waiting room has a ceiling height of 56 feet, supported by six wooden trusses made from Oregon or Douglas Fir. Roofing was Cordova Spanish tile and a pink buff brick produced in Ogden and faced with Bosie sandstone was used. The two main entrances on the east of the building are carved Boise sandstone. The designs in the sandstone are of “fruits, featuring mostly clusters of grapes. Over each entrance door is a carved buffalo. Ceremonies opening the new station were not as elaborate as those of 1889. (Continued on page 8) 4 : | i | { 4 |