The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-08-10
THE FIRE.

rs and 81, yet large number of buildings
were burned, and quite large amount o
property was destroyed. It originated in tn.
back end of Morrills carpenter shop on Wall
street, in the rear Of the drug store. A gen
tlelnan, who, was stopping in the back room
had cooked his supper, and after eating, went
down town, when, shortly after. at about hall
past seven o'clock, smoke was seen issuing from
the roof, and the alarm Of fire was given.
rush was made for the building, the people
collecting from every quarter. but owing tt
some disarrangement of the water works, and
everything being as dry as finder, the fire rap
idly got under full Roadway and communicated
to another frame building on the opposite side
of the street. Everybody worked with will
and hundreds of buckets were Immediately
brought into requisition, and lines formed from
the wells in the immediate vicinity to pass the
buckets of water to the fire. Within twenty
minutes after the fire broke out, the frame
kitchen and the roof and portico of the Soda
Factory were in flames, and from that point the
flames rapidly spread to Vantine g. Co.'S. store,
the Drug store and to the Miners Exchange
saloon belonging to Mr.. William Baird. One
whole side of the block between Wall and
Commercial streets on the east side, was soon
in ashes, and it was only by the hardest work
that the houses on the opposite side of the
street were saved. The roofs of several of the
buildings caught fire frequently, but the appli-
cation of wet blankets and liberal supply of
water, saved the main business block of the
city. Several of the awnings and sheds were
cut down, and the men on that side of the
street kept steadily at work carrying and
throwing water OH the roofs aud sides of the
buildings, notwithstanding the heat was so in :
tense as to scorch and char the woodwork,
and break the glass in the windows The roofs
of the stores of Messrs Lauer & Swim and
JIG. Bryant & Co. were at one time on fire
in dozen places, but in spite of the intense
heat the boys stuck to their posts aud beat back
the flames as fast as they broke out. The fire.
proof brick ware house on the corner of Main
and Commercial streets, belonging to j. c.
Bryant & Co., contributed greatly towards
checking the further spread of the fire, and BY
herculean efforts the large frame livery stable
belonging to McClintock g. Stewart, on the
opposite corner of the street, was saved. Had
that building caught fire, almost the entire
city would have been in flames. One of the
cellars of Bryant s. Co. was injured to some
extent, and the goods stored in it were con-
siderably damaged, as was also the case with
the cellar belonging to Vantine e. Co. The
Soda Factory and lodging house of F. Miller
G. Co. proved fre-proof, though the outbuild-
ings, roof, sidewalks and awnings were of
course consumed. The same was the case
with Mr.. VIM. Bairds Saloon. though the
close proximity Of the wooden buildings in the |
rear of it, together with the heat of large
pile of cord-wood on fire in the backyard, |
heated up the iron doors to such an extent as
TO badly char the inside doors, window sashes
and frames. The Drug Store of Zipf s. Marx
being also fre-proof, suffered no further injury
than the loss Of the roof, sidewalks and avn
Jugs dIOuunu 1uc UuIluIuR. |
The merchants lost but few goods by fire,
though large amount was badly damaged,
and there was probably more stolen than were
burnt. The Cinnamon made general raid or
goods of every description, from ribbons and |
kid gloves to beds and bedding, stove-pipes,
groceries, and merchandise of every conceiva-
BILE kind. A few Of them stood in and worked
like beavers, but the majority Of them were
too intent on "picking up things" to lend
helping hand in staying the progress of the
flames. At one time, it seemed impossible to
save the Good Templar Hall, but the fact was
patent that if the Hall burnt nothing could
save the opposite side of the street, and that
made everybody who were working at that
point put forth every exertion to save that
building. In this they were successful after
the we'll in the Miners Brewery
and the one in front Of Keegan's Saloon, but
the side Of the Hall was, badly scorched and
charred. l0IG bgoqs asf brr auslgb s5rqI
We have heard Of no serious accidents,
though Jim Gallagher, of the Soda Factory
came near losing his life. He had been work.
ing hard and was on the roof of the Factory II
while it was on FIRE, and was overcome by the
neat, and fell off the roof, distance of about
fifteen feet, to the ground, where he lay in
ensible, and almost in reach of the flames.
-. ~ .ron b,oLo+. ~ ,...ka. II