Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-19
THE GREAT MONTANA FIRE.
Destruction OF The City OF
Helena.
Twenty Acres Swept Black and
Bare by the COnflagratiGn.
rrom ,hs Hslsna llIent..nal Palt. ArflI.

Il Al twenty nlnkLoo past wv VI
4 Wednesday morning, Helenians were
awakened from their slumbers by the
| horrorSthrilling cry Of fire l''--wakened
to see rosy flush in the sky Weakened
to see their proud city fall prey to the
long looked for and dreaded red demon,
and nought be left Of two~thiris OF its
business quarter save the ashes Of deso~
lation. the fire was first discovered in
Chinese house Of ill>fame, adjoining
the shoe shop on the corner of West
Main and Cutler streets, and before the
alarm bad called a score Of persons to
the scene the hungry flames had seized
upon the adjoining building. In ten
minutes it was full ablaze, and as the
heat sucked the resinous matter from the
dry pine logs Of which ii was constructed,
the heat became so intense, that APP
proach to it was impossible. The fire.
men and citizens gathered promptly in
hundreds, and many worked diligently,
but intellectually, to demolish the Chi
nese house Immediately across Cutler
street. 1t was but preparing food
for the gourmand. The heat drove
them rapidly from one building
to another. A rally was made to
tear out the structures adjoining the
Hancock building, the key to the pre-
servation Of the city, but the flames
jumped West Main street, ran rapidly
along the west side, aanked the position,
drove the multitude out Of the street
and almost in flash the Hancock build
ing was covered with flames. The last
position was lost--the destruction Of the
business part of the upper town was nov
inevitable. The tire-fend bounded /
along and across Bridge street, roaring /
with fury, breathing his fire>fake
breath far ahead, and devouring with
ravenous haste the dainty finder in
his path. Ere this, merchants and fami>
lies we're moving out rapidly, or into fire
proofs, all down Main and the cross
streets. But now confusion was con-
founded, and eager solicitnde became a
panic Of fright. In three hours the heart
of the city was eaten out - con-
sumed, and daylight dawned upon the
blacklist day ever Helena saw. For
daylight brought an angel of
mercy to the scene. The wind which
had increased and famed the fame with
fitful gusts, right down the gulch,
veered round. The flames had swept
everything but the freproofs until it
reached the stone barrier presented by
Hale &: Co.'s and Z. S. Mansfield's build
ings, on'opposite sides of Main street, and
checked by them, had darted over the
hill in the direction Of Broadway. Nc
Pherson's house was consumed; five
minutes more and the Hall & Miller cot
tages would have baited the fire to Broad
way. But the smoke and fire darted
upward-drifted lazily back. One more
rally-contiguous buildings were de-
molished by still ready hands, the
Broadway region was saved, the
further progress stayed. Up town
the Doris building was saved by |
exertions. The fire did not |
extend across Joliet street, except to
Curtin Bros building, which was burnt,
Except the fire>proof buildings OF the
National Bank, King & Gillette, Herzog,
Hussey & Dahler, Cans & Klein, l. Har-
ris, Poznainsky, Murphy & Stephenson,
and couple near the corner of Joliet |
and Cutler, there is not valuable build |
ing left in the space bounded. by Manst |
field and Hale, Joliet, Cutler and ClOre |
streets.
The morning scene was one of dreari- |
est desolation The hills about we're |
covered with groups of men, women and |
looking sadly down on the |
ashes of their homes the meagre extra |
apparel and furniture clutched in haste, 1
strewn about; the remote streets piled |
with merchandise transported at gallop |
by scores of teams weird forms of men |
cropping about down in the thick smoke, |
and the sun draping even the great
in sombre, sOrrowful shadows
from the smoky incense that assembled |
from the altar of devastation. |
The number of buildings destroyed is |
Variously estimated at from l3S to 227,
over one-half of which we're business
houses. The loss is estimated at from |
100000 to 1928, 900, the larger figures |
being the estimate of one of our best in
formed and most considerable merchants. |
In many branches of industry and trade |
there was not representative with a
roof over him yesterday
The origin of the fire is unknown, but
it is the generally accepted belief that it
was fired purpOsely By an incendiary.
From the negotiations made and intent |
yesterday, full one half of the
business firms will begin rebuilding
wit hin the week