Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-08-15
ALMOST A FIRE.


A Small Biase at Mr.. Whistler's Resi-.
dence This Mornlag-Its Origin In.
known.
About 4 o'clock this morning an
alarm Of fire was sounded from the
St. Charles church bell, and soon tie
hose cart was on the move up Main
street. trying to locate the cause of
the alarm. The company was stopped
near Ba'tsch's liquor store, until the
fire could be located, and after wait
ing few minutes information was
received that it had been subdued, and
there was no necessity of proceeding
farther. Although there were but a
few fiiemen with the cart, the turnout
was fairly large, the 6remen, as we'll
as many citizens, waiting on the street
corners until the threatened danger
could be located.
The FIRE was at the residence of Mr..
Whistler, on First avenue, and could
not be seen from Main street, being
in the shed of the building.
Mrs. Whistler was awakened from
her sleep by the smoke in her bed
room, and Immediately upon discov-
ering the cause gave the alarm, when
Nightwatchman Tatro repeated it
from the nearest bell.
1t is impossible to determine the
cause of the fire in that part of the
building, and especially at that hour
Of the night. But the general belief
is, that it was the work of an incend,.
airy. The building is an L.shaped
frame structure, with a shed back (;
and here it was where the fire origin.
ated. The roof Of the shed is rather
flat and near the ground, afford,ng an
easy Judgment for re-brand, and
every indication points to this as the
means Of starting the fire. There is
no chimney Of stove.pipe in this part
of the building, and it is held that it
would have been impossible for a
spark to have lodged in that spot and
remained unnoticed for so long.
No damage was done beyond burn
ing small hole through the roof Of
the main building, and most of the
shingles on the shed, when few
buckets of water from the we'll near
by effectively stopped further destruc-
ton.
Mrs. Whistler is positive some one
entered the house some time during
the night, as the front door, which
had been securely bolted and the KEY
left in the lock, was found open and
the key gone. Mr.. Whistler is away
from home, and this precaution is al
ways used in his absence-and it was
probably this shutting most of the
draft out Of the building that saved it
from destruction.
The family knows of no enemy SO
bitter as to resort to this means of sat
isfying a grudgs, and very naturally
lay the deed to thieves, who though:
to divert the attention of the citizens
to that part of town, while they pill
LACED the business houses on Main
street. And as the town is infested
with few hard characters, this seems
to be a reasonable view.
Why the Sheriff and the District
Attorney don't move on the Migrants,
is one of the problems that may never
be solved; but in such a step they
would have the help and encourage
ment of every citizen on the river.
Go after the vags, gentlemen.
This incident furnishes another ar.
gument in favor of hose house. To
get the hose cart out of its hiding.
place, it was necessary to jump over
a high board fence, as the shed door
is locked from the inside, and all this
required from seven to ten minutes
time enough to destroy some build.
ings.