The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1865-05-27
THE CONFEDERATION.
IDAHO CITY IN ASHEsI

comm uultleS with cTuSulugi uSauehihs WSiElC
A great FIRE on Thursday night laid nearly tne
sentire town in ashes, sweeping away the for,
tunes Of very many Of its business men, and
leaying innnmerable families homeless and
,aessit5te. The entire business portion of the
town was completely destroyed. A marrow.
scattered remnant OF buildings on the out
skirts Of tile town alone remain to mark tire
boundaries eff Idaho City.
pne gre was Airst discovered about ten
O'Clock in the evening" breaking out IN mass
i've sheets Of fame from the roof OF adance
bouse on Montgomery street. Persons who
say the fire wien it first appeared onthe roof,
assert that bat moment elapsed before the
whole upper portion of the building was en-
yeloped in flames. The wind atthis time
was blowing from the south. In few min
utes the adjoining buildings, including the
.Sheritfs and Probate Judges Office, Wells,
Fargo 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 a strong effort
was made TO check the further progress Of
the fire, but without any avail whatever. Il
swept furiously up the range of buildings on
Main and Montgome streets, carrying every
building before it. Taylor's Exchange the
CITY Hotel Magnolia Hall Harris'S drugstore,
The Umatflla 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-stery. buildings, they seemed
TO gather strength and an nnqnenchable fe-
recfty. The east side of Main street was
next on fire. Mix's drugstore, Robertson d
Co.'S Jewelry store, Charlton & Langworthy's
brokers Office. Fred Bells saloon, Lauren's
saloon. and others on the east side, and on
The west side the Washoe saloon, Prior's sa.
aoop. PeTs bakery, Cans & Bros bowling
saloon, and others were all on fire together
Every building on Main street was destroyed
ZIP to and including the old American hotel.
The wind. meanwhile, continued to increase,
SLOWING ia puifs 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 hendish ex-
ultation. The Forrest TheaSer, 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-
sDeare.s Romeo and Juliet was soon.
floating in flaming brands through the sky
The wind at this time changed its course and
commenced blowing from the north and north
west. irhc confederation having destroyed nearly
the whole of the upper end df town, now seemed
III part md turn in two fiery crcless to the right
and left. Turning to the right from hossl d
hobie's Office, and the American Hotel, u came.
flriously down Hugh street. Here great many
oY1fI nm Il.
dences Of families. These soon disappeared--but
few of the owners saving anything OF much value.
The left wing OF the fire turned down The west
81 lie of Montgomery and extending thence wester>
ly across the lower end of Wall street TO Com
lnerciai at this stage, the whole town presented
d fearful sight. The forked tongues OF fire
seemed to lick the very clouds; dense volumes OF
black smoke rolled in streams down the Basin
the whole city frem bank to bank was a
sea oil boiling fames,. sweeping with the
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 on
East Hill as high.as the residences OF Nj. Charl
ton and Col. Hall. destroying the old Sheriff $ |
Office, Office Of the District Clerk, Highly 4 Co.'si
store International hotel PickWick Hall, Clares-
sv;s saloon, Smith Storms store, and every
building on both sides of Main and High streets
as far south as the south side of Waliula. The
catholic Church was saved by extraordinary eff |
the roof at ole time, Every blilding on Com
mercial street, as far east as the church, was
burned. On the western side of the town. nothing
was left except McGrorty's building, near the foot
of Wall street, and Ben. f. Woods store. On
Montgomery street, everything is gone down to
the corner Of Commercial. The block including
Mr.. Gaby's house and Drydes stable was saved. |
The Methodist Church was badly injured, win
'dows destroyed and sides broken in, but was not
destroyed. The private residences south of this
fchurch were not injured, being the westerly por
Stion of Wallula and Commercial. Everything |
was lost on Main as far south as Powell 4 Coe.
The water running through Wallula enabled the
citizens to check the FIRE at this point.
To sum the whole up, the town from the Jenny |
Lind Theatre ON the north, to Powell's on the |
South has entirely disappeared. The town was
built of wood, and the fire once started, ran
through it like pile Of Shavings. Fhc city was
provided with comparatively nothing to eXtinguish
the fire. A few hose were put at work. but we're
Of but little service. But few buckets even could
be obtained. The town was at the mercy ofNthe |
confagration.
1t IS impossible at this time to make any rel- /
able estimate Of the total loss incurred within
that fatal one hour and three quarters. Most Of
the business houses were provided with fire-proof
cellars, which, with few exceptions. stood the i
fire. A large amount of general merchandise is
therefore fortunately still preserved, with which
business may be resumed as soon as buildings can
be erected.
The origin of the fire is not known, but it is
generally supposed TO be the work of incendiaries
<snvoral 1ttnn,nts were made during the wnnlv ~