The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1885-05-09
The Billings Fire.


Livingston on Saturday night last Billings
was visited by an identical but more
sweeping scourge. Fire was discovered
in the farmers hotel, two story log
building, relic of the early days but un-
occupied except by two dodgers, J. W.
Cobb and A. N. Thompson Of the local
newspaper corps. The building was stu
ated in block III on the main business
street of the town, next east of the block
burned last year. The flames spread each
way and burned every building in the
block except the Park hotel, a large build
ing on side street. The principal losers
! wcrc: First National Danh Tuliy s.
Freese, hardware; Gazette Publishing
company; Mrs. Fisch, building; Mrs.
Lind, dry goods; Mrs. Cohen, building
NJ. Susman, building and general stock:
W. R. Finch, Photographic outfit and
stock of liquors; G. B. Hulme, building
II. II. Mund, building. There were num-
erous other sufferers but their losses were
comparatively small. A liberal estimate
places the total loss at 100000. The in
surance was trife over $4,000. One
of the heaviest losers was the Gazette
Publishing Company, consolidated from
the Herald, Post and Rustler firms, and
the combined printing outfits had that
day been moved into building in the
burned block. Some of the type was
saved but mostly in the form Of "pi''; a
job press and a small card press were also
rescued. The company's loss is fully $5,-
500, insured for $2,750. The First Ma
tional Bank lost little Of nothing by the
fire. Its building was fully insured and
its vault withstood the ordeal without
damage to its contents. A small building
has been erected over the vault in which
to do business temporarily and work on
the banks new building, some time in
progress, is being rushed with all speed.
J. w. Cobb was in bed in the building in
which the fire started and at that time
When he awoke the flames were all around
him and when he was rescued he was very
badly burned, and cut by forcing his way
through window. He is a printer and
was proprietor of the late Rustler; he was
at one time a proprietor of the defunct
Miles City Press. The orr gin of the fire
is mystery An unknown woman was
seen to leave the spot where the flames
originated about ten minutes before they
were discovered. This gives rise to theo-
ry of incendiarism.
Miles City visited by FIRE.
On Monday evening at about 1870
o'clock, within 48 hours after the subsidence
of the flames in Livingston and Billings,
fire broke out in Miles City. It original
ed in the rear of Rrandenburg & Van
Gasken's meat market and may have been
from the smoke house or by an incendiary
hand or that of careless tramp. The
fire spread in both directions and burned
the entire block, comprising some Of the
heaviest business houses IN the town.
The block was of the older portion Of the
town so that the buildings destroyed were
generally Of an inferior class. The
heaviest sufferers were 7. B.. Burleigh,
$4,000; Basinski Bros, $4,000; Bran
denburgh & VanGasken, $4,000, Z.
Butler, $4,000; Breback, $4,000; Strevell
& Garlock, $1,000; A. Smith $500
K. Schmid, 1900; II. Brochardt, Moran
Bros, DR.. DAVE, HaAauer & Martindale
each 81 900, The total losses are placed
at $4,000 covered by an insurance Of
$3.50 Among the buildings burned
was the postoffice, but little or no mail
matter was lost.