The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1872-02-24
A Disastrous Conaa igfF alto |!
An Entire Business ROsU Of Deer
LOL0e IN Ashes I!
Sixteen Buildings Burned

LOSS, $68,325!
| -s-).s-----
from the New North. West Extn, Feb. 1871
Almost simultaneously, 1t little before:
O'Clock this morning, Mr.. VIM. Rowe. nigh
Waterman, and Mr.. Robert Wiles discover
ed flames issuing from the rear portion Of
the roof of Coffee & Preston's large livery
stable, standing at the corner of Main and
Second streets, and at once gave the alarm,
Mr.. Rowe rousing Main Street in few min.
utcs. When discovered It had gained but
little hesdway, but almost = gale prevailing
from point or TIVE east of eoathit wa
famed to fury in few minutes, and the
eager flames swept from the immense stable
front and rear around the adjoining store Of
Parchen, Paynter & Co.. gathering its rich
store of combustibles to its assistance, and
presaglng almost inevitable destruction Ia
the two principal business blocks of Deer
Lodge In few minutes hundreds of men
were at the scene, and to save the most VAL
liable goods from the stores il the certainly
doomed block, was accepted - = fpst lfqty,
and, like Trojans, scores of willing men ap-
piled themselves to tile task, in some in
stances standing by their. dangerous task
until the flames enveloped thep,, and skins
were parched in the on<sweetinS furnace.
But on sped the fire, Mrs. Wrght's, Sharp
g. Nspton's, and D. d. HaldermAn's build
ings isni,ing in quick SUCCESSION, and the
ferocious flames dashed by the quartering
gale reaching eagerly on and across swept
almost over the 100 feet wide Main street, /
spray Of fire sweeping up against Valiton'a,
Thompson's, the Scott House, Emcrsdn's
aud the Occidental, and fairly raining fire
upon the scores of earnest workers who
battled and beat it a. manfully as evot ilnen
met and vanquislcd the fire fiend. So fierce
was the heat that thoroughly saturated blan-
kcts on those buildings repeatedly ignited.
and the face of them is browned-almost
blackencd-and the paint is crisped and
peeled. In some places the pitch from the
pine cxuded under the heat and fried like
in spider. Fortunately not blaze start.
ed on that side, for the sheet Of fame would
have flashed along the entire block almost
instantly and no man could have withstood
it. ~
While this was going on, Bein's Brewery.
Robinson & Thornton,s, Grants large City
Hall and adjoining Restaurant, the Harris
Building, WEIGH Building (Wolt's Barber
Shop, and the WEIGH & Wiley Building
{ Kleinschmidts). caught in quick succession,
and at 1t o'clock the entire block was In
blaze-a grand, glowing mass Of flame and
coal. an altar On which was sacrificed this
Sabbath morning the hard earnings Of mapy
and the az of more than one good, honest,
industrious man. .-4ns ...
While the Grant Building was burning
hottest there occurred one Of the heroic in.
cidents of the fire, seen by hundreds, and it,
success was rewarded with round cheer of
grateful appreciation. The roof of the '''old
Decker Building" an eye sore and standing
iniquity of the town, wss fred in three
places by waited brands. In anticipation
Of this, ropes had been put to It, the corner
posts and lemons cut, and all in readiness to
pull it down If need be. as it commanded,
and its burning made inevitable. the de.
struction of Dance & Murphy's Planning
Mill and the yard containing over million
feet Of piled lumber When it caught it was
found impossible with the. force of men
available to pull it down. this juncture,
John Murphy, Chas. Murphy, and ''Bob"
Bouicr, ascended inside, and Bouier mount.
ing on the shoulders Of the others jumped |
through burning hole in the steep root
70 the outside with spailo Of water, sprang M
i, ran along the high comb like Blondin,
md extinguished { burning spft inaccessi4
lie from the inside The other placeE were
'asily reached. and no other places igntting.
a that portion of the tow, the tsluable s!
,hinery and lumber requisite to rebuild the
he burnt district were saved. Bob Bouier
. . hero.
Meantime the fire was Stacking. It had
burned the entire block: It's expansion had
zen prevented, walls, and chimneys were
to their bases. The apprehension
vas- overNthe actual could be realized. = So
ar - We ara enabled to1learn to.dey, the
GLOWING will approximate closely to the &C.
ual losses: .." ..-d@ '@.... '.'+'2"
- z, sBulLDuHos SUMMED. II
CoGey 4 Preston-livery stable and adjoining store
uilding, f5y1 -iiIYlit Aoo0 i
II