Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1880-12-11
The Confederation.

suffered from the most disastrous fire
that has yet occurred in the city.
At about q o'clock a. III. the first alarm
was given by Geo. STANDARD, who saw
smoke issuing from the roof and upper
windows Of the Booths hotel building.
The inhabitants responded with a~lacrity
ais the cry Of fire strikes dread into the
heart Of every one who inhabits a town
built up entirely of wood. BY the time
the citizens had begun to congregate,
the flames had made such Roadway a.
to totally preclude the possibility Of saw
ing anything in the upper portion of the
building, occupied by Mr.. Although as
lodging rooms. The lower story was
used in front by Messrs. Shaf:er and
Chase as "A saloon. one-half Of their
stock and bar fixtures was saved T.
rest was consumed. The rear porto oc-
cupied by Mr.. .Ailabough rs a res %,nrant,
was filed with tho usual par,.pnernalia
Of an eating house and was nearly a
tota. loss. Adjoining Booths hotel
OH the east was Booth and Shankland's
store, the largest in the place, all efforts
to save the building of course proved
f%ruitless and every exertion was used to
empty the room Of the stock of goods.
Willing hands were employed with a
CELEBRITY that nothing but iIninent danger
can awaken, and although the building
was in flames in a few minutes the
greater portion of the goods was remov-
ed to a place Of "a safety. The post-ofiice
which was kept in this store was saved,
that is to say everything of value was
packed out and no loss was sustained
further than "a general disarrangcment
of paper, records, stamps, etc, which will
occasion our p. Nj. some trouble ana
veXation. MANY bulky articles were
destroyed. The CHRONICLE office which
stands next to the east, was saved by
means of wet blankets and the super
human eXcrtions of the crowd every
thing inside was moved out when it
seemed impossible to save it, but the
Eccu III vi Y OVihS a. SDtNC vi
about twenty-five feet between it and
the burning store, and the fact that
there was no wind blowing proved its
salvation. In moving the forms, types,
etc. IA considerable loss was sustained BY
reason of everything becoming in prin-
ter's p~arlance knocked into pi. On the
west side of the hotel a large unoccupicd
log building WAS consumed, and here
again Il space of about twenty-five feet
was sufficient to save the other build
ings to the west. Had there been Il
strong wind blowing there is no telling
where the end would have been.
The losses as nearly a. can be asccr-
tanned foot up about as follows: Booth
& ~Shankland ON stock. 81 900; on store
and all outbuilding's in rear, 800 on
hotel building, 81 800. Allabough ON
household utensils, silverware, clothing.
stoves, etc, 1900. Davis, Weir 4
Dempsey on building, 500. Shafler 4
Chase on stock, bar fixtures, etc, $500.
CHRONICLE on damages TO building and
printing material 500, making a total
of about $4,000. This amount though
not large cannot but be felt severely in
a new town where nothing is insured.
Messrs. Booth & Shankland moved
their stock into Booths hall, where in a
few hours they were selling goods in full
blast as though nothing unusual had
occurred. Mr.. Allabough, moved his
family into the building on Custer
avenue, where nothing daunted by his
i'll fortune he will continue his business.
1t is considered probable that Booth
4 Shankland will at once rebuild on the
old site, but the matter is not yet fully
determined upon. AS they new have a
better room than formerly they may
conclude to occupy it at least until
spring.
Taken altogether this fire has beer Il
severe blow to the town and lisa wa.a,a,
to all TO use the utmost caution N. lnard
against "A recurrence q such Il na't-. t,phc.
The cause Of this confiagrajau may be
traced to an over heated sln,u pipe not
properly guarded from the wood work.
It might save us great loss were "A com
~ If citizens appointed to closely
nue in the town, and
nave power 10 q IN immediate rem.
edy where any defect was ,iscovercJ
-