The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-09-09
Local News.
tFrom Tuesdays Eaily.)
THE MAIN STREET FIRE.


~ . . 01CSGEVyCe1s
About two o'clock Monday NOR ing the
bull moon was sailing majesticly through a
k~loudless sky; not the ~faintest whisper Of the
most ethereal zephyr wa to be heard all ma
bare was at rest and no sound arose to break
he stiffness of the ma.nificel.t!y perfect sum-
ner night. Butte--queenly Butte--lay
bleepy in the mild moonlight as TRANQUILITY, as
bontidingly as if a never ceasing peril, the
LANCER OF fire, did not hang like the sword
hf Damocles over her devoted head. Sud-
lenlya lurid glow throws its reflection across
Main street, right III the business centre of
lle town. A quick run is made towards the
Inspected danger by the few belated watchers
(till to be found on the street, and then is
heard the cry that never possesses hall so
huch terror as when it falls at midnight OH
he ear Of the half-awakened sleeper. '.Fire!!"
ry the men Oh the street. Fire, tire!' re-
tchoes from varioas quarters Of the town.
fFire!" cla,Ss the school bell, whose notes
ever before sounded so harsh; and a mo-
lent later the whistles Of the mills take up
%uS hSAAOiAA INV tAS AAl'bl 49, tOiCCSs
yell and whistles shout, ring and below
Fire! Fire! File.!' until it seems as if the
ountry for miles around must be aroused.
leantime the flames burst through the roof
the doomed building, the store of 7. L.
bowler d Co., and a bright pillar Of glowing
noke arises perpendiculariy through the aO-
Dlutely motionless air. In an instant it
seen that all hope of saving the building or.
3 contents, as we'll as the wooden building
djoining, must be abandoned. All efforts
h ben are turned toward saving the buildings
II cross Main street, as we'll as the wooden out
4 buses i'll the rear, communicating with West
roadway, where the Eureka Malke, and the
LINER office stand. The finder box Of u
F. uilding is i'll flames i'll less time than it takes
b read the above description; HE entire s,ruc-
\ &lre wrapped in flames. The wooden build
4 ngs acAoss Main street begin to smoke omi-
# Ously, but q trelnen's ladder is quickly at
4 band and lines OF buckets are passing q to the
n lreatened point. To the rear of the burn
T. lg buildings a similar defence was going OH.
3 Ell, most of them fipe-will volunteers, not
a <nterested in the endangered property, cov-
II red the roof of every exposed building, pro-
citing themselves as best they could from the
n l~istering heat, while they reached for the
A buckets passed to them, and deluged the eX-
SHExposeu side OF the root. And SO the fight is
4ass&ept up for a critical .lree-tourtlls Of an hour,
Init the flames begin 10 slucken with the
filing in of the buildings they we've preying
Upon. DUNG the time the least breath Of
III ind from any quarter would instantly have
n mt a whirlwind of destruction either across
aln street and on towards the St. Nicholas
Hotel, on East Broadway, or towards the
As fame buildings in the rear. But the airy,
GRACEFUL looking cinders kept floating up per-
pendicularly, until away aloft an upper cur.
mt bore them toward the west. The two
Wooden buildings, Bowler's store and Porch
er's market, standing side by side, and
Aoomed from the outbreak to a common
lite, were tianked toward the west by Chas.
Blum's lire-proof building and on the east By
ghe stone and brick building of Dellinger u
Hyde, filled with hardware. At the first
6lalm the latter named gentlemen closed
Nv MNSAA " oIaNStNaos Aiu AOU SsA w u
Dove a dollars worth Of their goods, risked
Everything and consequently lost nothing,
I've the awning in front. But Dlum's store
nd no iron shutters in front, and in a mo-
ment the flames were communicated from
d awning to the sash Ct the east window.
Here was no occasion for alarm, the sash
Duld easily have been cut ont, the awning
ht down and the building saved with its
pods unhurt. But this plan was not taken.
Lhstead the door was broken in and the valu-
bic goods packed out and dumped into the
4reet where more than one mean pilterel
lad access to them. When about half re.
4oved the manager Of the store, Mr.. Henry
&cMurphey, arrived on the scene, and at once
put a stop to the packing of of his goods
With Il few blows Of the axe he broke Out
he blazing sash; a few more carried down
he awning, when 1t was found that the heavy
1rick side wall was not even warmed
hrough by the fire banked up against it. AL
the rush and excitement in carrying away
he goods Was worse than useless, resulting
Is it did in a loss of about $1,000 from theft
of exposed goods and $500 damages.
Meanwhile, along Main street, merchants
we're busy carrying out their goods and de-
pos!ting them in a place of safety, only t.
Shrry them back the following morning out O.
kocket several hundred dollars through dam
BE sustained. The building occupied b,
4owler & Co. was owned by 3. Petit, while
&nrcher's stand close by was occipied by
4ichel s. Heits, butchers. Mr.. Heits, whose
g was broken a few DAYS ago, jumped on
bed when the fire began roaring and crack
ling within a few feet C: where he lay ant
4llarters.
IN The following is a list OF the losses sus