The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-06-14
From Thursdays Daily.l
BUTTE'S BLAZE.
Destruction of Valuable Prop
erty.
Heroic Efforts to Save
The Building
The Sports to the FrOnt--They
Fought the Fire Fiend
Hand to Hand.
The Fire Supposed to beEthe Work
Of an Incendiary.

""J
lance that has ever occurred in Butte, took
place about Els this morning. The fire
originated in Mr.. Petit's furniture room on
Broadway, adjoining the Workingmen's Hos
pital.
In an incredibly short space of time a
men, at least, were on the ground.
efforts were directed towards saving
the patients in the Hospital.
These onsisting of two miners, Messrs.
Higgins and Cronan and one partially para
lyzed whose name we did not learn were
taken to rooms underneath the Good Tenn
plars' building, where they were con.forta-
bly, disposed. With Petit's building the
Workingmen's Hospital had to go. No ef-
forts could be be successfully made to save
it, but nearly all the furniture was taken out
and Petit saved a small porto in his build
ing.
Fortunately there was no wind and desper-
ate efforts were made to prevent the fire from
spreading.
Henry McMurphey's neat little res
idence adjoining the hospital could not posi-
bly, be rescued from the devouring element,
but all of his household goods were saved.
The building On the west of and adjoin-
ing Mr.. McMurphey's was torn down to pre-
vent the fire from extending to the fine resi-
widow lady, occupied the RACED building.
All her furniture was saved. The fire was
checked in his direction at the burned
residence of Mr.. McMurhey. On the east of
Petit's building, a house owned by Dave
Allen, was torn down, which prevented the
fire from extending in hat direction. But it
required heroic efforts to accomplish this.
Doc. Reins' building, situated east of and
next to Aliens dwelling, was several times in
great danger. The heat from the burning
was intense. Determined men were on the
roof, and in the face of a heat that would
scorch asalamander firmly stood their ground.
Heret he sports displayed their pluck. Efforts
were repeatedly made to tear this building
down, but the " boys " as often cried out,
" hold on ;giye us water and We'll save her,"
They did save it, and in saving that one
building several more on the east were res
cued from inevitable destruction.
Back of the Workingmen's Hospital and
contiguous to it was a small building occu-
pied by Mr.. Hermann Graft and family. This
was consumed, with everything in it, Mrs.
Graf, with fer babe IN her arms, barely es-
Gaping the furious flames.
For over an hour the buildings burned,
casting a lurid lale over the whole city.
| While every effort was made to save build
ings and property, much was lost that could
have been saved if cisterns were constructed,
the water supply ample and the fine fire en-
CINE belonging to the city on the
ground, In the absence of these, noble work
was done. The bucket brigade kept the
water flying and hooks and ladders were en-
ployed by brave, active men. Several of our
most prominent citizens were On the ground
and never relaxed their labor until the ell
envy was subdued. Each We'd with the other
in rendering needed aid. Houses in the
immediate vicinity were stripped of their fur
n.tuve in the twinkllng of an eye and
their roofs covered with blankets
which were saturated with water.
The losses sustained may be estimated as
follows.
Petit, building and furniture, S., 600; no
insur a.,
Holmes & Henderson, owners of the Work
ingmen's Hospital, building and contents,
5000.
Dave Allen, building, $1,000.
House occupied by Henry Nc Murphy, $500.
House occupied by Mrs. Lauders, $500.
The origin of the fire is really unknown,
but MIR. Petit infor III US that no fire was
kept on the building; that he slept there, but
had not yet gone to bed when the alarm was
sounded. About an hour before the fire he
observed a man, apparently partially intoxi'
Gated, in the rear Of the building. This man
he thinks vent into the workshop, the ool
of which is always open, and in striking q
match to find a place on which to lie down,
set fire to the mass of shavings on the floor,
Either this was lone or the fire is the work
of an incendiary. If the latter, il is time fol
the 3-7-17 to be up and at work.
NOTES.
Drs. Homes j. Hendrickson inform Us
that they have 10 idea of any building they
can use as a temporary hospital. The fire
comes in a particularly Unfortunate time, a:
they last night received the contract for car
ing for,the sick and infirm of the county
Before the flames had fairly subsidized the
inevitable small 10y was hunting around the
ruins for stray scraps.
The person Who took Mr.. Petit's coatf con,
tanning his memoranda book with ccountS
etc., will confer a favor by returning it to hi:
store on Main street.
There was a policy of insurance on tn
Workingmen's Hospital in the Phoenix Of