The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1865-05-20
: The mountains -they proclaim
THE CONFEDERATION.
IDAHO. CITY IN ASHES /

- Ae"0 ~ 0Lt Anuh Suo niSnC AesAu sno
entire town in ashes, sweeping away the for
tunes Of very many of its business men, and
leaving innumerable families homeless and
destitute. The entire business portion of the
town was completely destroyed. A narrow,
scattered remnant Of buildings on the out
skirts of the town alone remain to mark the
boundaries of Idaho City.
The Ere was first discovered about ten
o'clock in the evening, breaking out in mass
i've sheets Of fame from the roof of a dance
house on Montgomery street. Persons who
saw the fire when it first appeared on the roof,
assert that but moment elapsed before the
whole upper portion of the building was en-
veloped in flames. The wind at this time
was blowing from the south. In few min
utes the adjoining buildings, including the
SherifFs and Probate Judges Office, Wells,
Fargo 4 Co.'s Express Office, the Idaho
Saloon, kept by Cunningham and Lawrence,
and Totman's saloon was also on fire. By
this time the alarm of fire brought together
nearly every one in town, and strong effort
was made to check the further progress of
the fire, but without any avail whatever. 1t
swept furiously up the range of buildings on
Main and Montgomery streets, carrying every
building before it. Taylor's Exchange, the
City Hotel, Magnolia Hall, Harris'S drugstore,
the Umatilla market, followed in rapid sue
cession. At this time the wind was blowing
strongly up the creek, and it was the general
opinion that the lower portion of the town
would escape, but as the flames swept through
some of the two-story buildings, they seemed
TO gather strength and an unquenchable fe-
rocity The east side Of Main street was
next on fire. Mix's drugstore Robertson L
Co.'s Jewelry store, Charlton 4 Langworthy's
brokers' Office, Fred Bells saloon, Lauren 5
saloon, and others on the. east side, and on
the west side the Washoe saloon, Prior's sa-
loon, PefFs bakery, Cans &, Bros bowling
saloon, and others were all on fire together.
Every building on Main street was destroyed
up to and including the old American hotel.
The wind, meanwhile, continued to- increase,
blowing ia pufs from every point of the
compass Lurid CLEANS of lightning shown
out from the black lowering bank Of clouds
IN the south, while over the doomed town the
flames cracked and roared with fendish ex-
ultation. The Forrest Theater, opened for
the second night only, and which at the be-
ginning of the fire was crowded with care
less and happy audience of ladies and gentle
men to witness the Potter troupe in Shak-
speares "Romeo and Juliet was soon
floating in flaming brands through the sky 5
The wind at this time changed its course and
commenced blowing from the. north, and north
west. The condagration having destroyed nearly
the whole of the upper end of town, now seemed
TO part and turn in two cry circles, to the right
and left. Turning to the right from Rossi &
Rebie's Office, and the American Hotel, it came
furiously down High street. Here a great man,
new buildings had been recently put up for resi-
dences Of families. These soon disappeared blu
few of the owners saving anything of much value
The left wing OF the fire turned down the ives
side of Montgomery and extending thence wester
" across the lower end of Wall street to Com
merciai. At this stage, the whole town presente,
q fearful sight. The forked tongues sof fir
seemed to lick the very clouds dense volumes 0
black smoke rolled in streams down the Basin
the Whole city from bank to bank was
sea OF boiling flames, sweeping with til
gale in fiery wave to the southwark
AS it rolled down toward the lower end of town
it broadened out on each side, climbing up O
East Hill as high as the residences Of Mr.. Char
ton and Col. Hall, destroying the old Sheriff,
Office, office Of the District Clerk, Highly & Co.
store, International hotel, Pickwick Hall. Clare
sy;s saloon, Smith & Stern's store, and ever
building on both sides of Main and High street
as far south as the south side Of Wallula. III
Catholic Church was saved by extraordinary {
forts-One hundred men, we are told, were Q
the roof at one time. Every building on Cor
mercial street, as far east as the church, W:
burned. On the western side of the town, nothir
6 vas left except McGrorty's building, near the fo
OF Wall street, and Ben. f. Woods store. c
montgomery street, everything is gone, down
the corner of Commercial. The block includir
Mr. Gaby's house and Dryde's stable was save
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