Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1883-10-23
A CYCLONE OF FIRE.
PARK STREET IN ASHES.
The Red Demon Holds Resist
less Sway.
Twelve of Our Business Houses
Destroyed.
The Same Old Story of Empty
Wells and WORKOUT Hose.
BRICK WALLS TRIUMPH.
BRICK WALLS TRIUMPH.

U
fire was discovered ia the rear of the
Criterion saloon. Authorities differ Ia
the exact location uf the first blaze,
some placing il in "A rear room Oh the
second floor Of the Criterion build
ing, some locating il in the room "a =
rrctly under IL on the ground floor,
and some in un Outbuilding few feet
away-but all agree In locating II
within II radius of u few feet. When
first discovered it was within the con-
troll OF IA lew buckets oil water, but wa
ter was not AT hand, and the flames in
few minutes spread beyond control.
In the Criterion saloon there were two
games in Progress, and 50 quick did
the flames spread and 80 dense was Il e
volumn of smoke that enveloped the
rooms, that the players lorbore the tri-
fling ceremony of cLshing their checks,
hut, hastily pocketing them, stood not
upon the order of their going, hut lii
out at once. In less time than il takes
t, relate it the rear OF the building W 8
la flames from the ground 10 the ridge
pole. and the intense heat soon con-
municated fire to the piles of rubbish
Ia the rear of the adjoining buildings.
by this time, although no alarm hau
been given, the who,e town was alive
To the situation and willing hands
were at work at the pumps and with
buckets, although from the outset il
was apparent that the Park street
front was doomed. All along this
front from CulenIan's to Flick d
Louie's place energetic WORK
crs lent their aid to remove
everything that was movable
and long before the tire-lend claimed
uadisputed. sway everything worth
saving was safely deposited in the
park. From the rear of the Criterion
the fire 4 Iickly spread to Bishop d
Hill, Ritter a. Co. aud Bach's hui .dings,
and thence along the line. Colenians
Cottage saloon, one of the first build
ings in Miles CIT, aud built substan-
TALLY 0flogs, Was "a long time succumb-
ing to the flames, but when l. did
nnally start the fire was the most tre-
men"ous ever seen Ia this place. A
column of flame fully thirty feet in
diameter and nearly tw, hundred feet
long swept f:oln the front of the build
ing straight out across Park street., and
over the park, the heat from which
was so intense that for some twenty
minutes the fate of Browns and Sleep.
er's corners hung in the balance. Good
work with wet blankets aud the buck
ct brigade gained the day however,
and these buildings, as well as the Mer-
chants hotel now stand m,num, mt
to what willing hands, well directed,
can do on such occasions. Meanwhile
the fire had worked along to Hehli's
building, " hun an effort was made 10
tear down Turner hall with the intent
OF saving, ii possible, the fine building
belonging to Sam O'COnnell, but
owing to the ineillciency of the APP
paratus they were unable To accomp-
lish ANYTHING, and the resistless flames
swept on and soon developed O'Con-
nell's building. About this time key
of powder was placed in Flick Il
Hainemann's saloon, which, as subse-
quently proved, was the salvation of
Schmalsle's corner and the buildings
beyond, for, when the flames were rag
ing on this corner, and threutuing
every moment to leap across the street,
loud explosion occurred, which low
cred the walls and reduced the fire mt
that point to "A mass Of smoldering
ruins. BY this time the Park street
front had eDtsrely burned out, except
Coleman's corner, which, with
the Criterion, were still burning,
but beyond the possibility
OF danger to communicate with other
buildings. The First National Bank
building received its second baptism
Of fire and stood 1t nobIy, although
good work had to be and was done In
side Of II to keep the fire from conimu-
nicating through the wood work
around the doors and windows. 1t was
done however, aud by half.past IL
every one brSathed easy and felt that
the danger to the bank and other
buildings was past. II was impossible
nj the hour af uoinu In urass IA, uscor