The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-02-10
ANOTHER LARGE FIRE.
The Brookbank Dairy Barns Reduced
to Ashes-.Many Cows Burned.

The Br00kbank Dairy Barns Reduced
to Ashes-.Mauy Cows Burned.
At 12:48 O'Clock this morniug the nam
moth barn OF. Joseph H. Saville's Brook.
bank Dairy was discovered to be on fire
and in q few moments nothing remained ol
it except blackened and charred mass ol
ruins. Last night about o'clock the gang
Of men employed about the place had fin.
ished their days labor, and one of them in
conformity with the orders Of Mr.. Saville.
made q round of the entire premises. lock
ing all of the doors of the barn, and after
| seeing that everything was in proper con-
dition for the night. the most of the men
| came up town for the evening, portion of
them, however, going to bed. About 1890
o'clock those who were in town went down
to the barn and also went to their beds in
the two story log house situated about
seventy-feet from the barn and between it
and Montana street. They had not yet
gone to sleep when one of the drivers heard
not locked up in the stable. Being told
that he was not, he vent to the window
and could distinctly hear the roar of the
fire close at hand. He Immediately gave
the alarm and all OF the nine men on the
premises rushed for the stable to save the
cows, stalled inside OF it.
THE BURNED BUILDING.
The barn was perhaps the largest OF it's
kind in the Territory, being in the neigh
borhood of 1OOx2OO feet in size and three
stories high. and cost something over
$4,000, The ground floor, or more prop
erly basement contained stalls for about
40 animals, while the second floor had
stable room for about seventy more. in
addition to the grain rooms, harness room,
wash room, and other necessary apart
ments. The third floor was an immense
loft, and at the time of the fire contained
about forty tons of hay. 1t was in this
that the fire originated. The man who
locked up the stable was about the first
one upon the scene. and says that notwith-
standing the fact that he had carefully and
securely locked up the premises at 8
O'Clock, when he ran down from his room
all OF the doors, both on the second and
third floors were not only unlocked, but
we've standing wide open, showing conclus-
lively that the confagration was the work
of an incendiary.
A HORRIBLE SIGHT.
The fire spread with wonderful rapidity,
having started in the northwest corner of
the third story in the hay. and when the
men reached the barn the upper floor was
already falling through and the blazing
hay and boards rendered it impossible for
them to save more than three or four of
the animals on that fat. They rushed to
the basement and released all of the stock
down there, including two fine bulls and
about 14O head Of cows. The believing
and means Ut the burning cows upon the
second floor was simply terrible. and there
tied in their stalls sixty-seven milch cows
persisted. The horses, seven in number,
were also being looked after by some OF the
men, and all were saved except one, which
also perished. The mon worked nobly, but
there was no water to do anything with,
and in few minutes nothing as left but
the ruins. In one wing OF the building all
the ranch WAS stored, and these, too, were
destroyed, as well as the hay in the loft.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
Mr.. Saville was seen after the building
was reduced to an unrecOgnizable mass of
Goals, and, although he could not exactly
his loss, he approximates it as
follows:
The barn.......................... 900
Forty tons OF hay...."...................... 800
One hOrse......... 100
Harness, saddles, etc.................... 600
TIfGta@ If9ttaa1@ lGnsss ss aahoHt a 94t;; ::: $13,55o
ing and it's contents, outside of the stock,
of Sc, 900, Messrs. Warren & Mantle hav-
ing risks aggregating $4,000, and F. E. w.
Patten 81 500, and while the insurance
does not half cover the loss, Mr.. Saville
feels very thankful that he was so FORUM
ate as to have even that much to assist
him in rebuilding.
THE BROOKBANK DAIRY.
Joseph H. Savile started into the dairy
business in Butte about five years ago
with very small number of cows and a
limited capital, and by hard work and
careful, honest management, had increased
his stock of cows and attendant property
until he had the largest and most COM
plete business of the kind in Montana, and
he has made hosts of friends, who greatly
sympathize with him in his misfortune.
The proprietor will at once rebuild upon the
same site, and another lot of cows will be
sent for Immediately. In a short time
the track of the fire will be obllterated, and
Mr.. Saville will again be able to supply all
of his customers, and although the blow
falls very heavily upon him, he will pitch
right in and work himself up to his old
business basis in a short time.
AROUND THE FLAMES.
When the alarm was sounded there was
a general rush in the direction Of the fire.
and in few minutes fully 1000 persons
hurried down both Main and Montana
streets to the burning building.
The fremen quickly responded to the
alarm. and although the fire was out OF the
reach of their hose, they showed their will
lingness and promptness in answering the
tap Of the bell.
As soon as the animals were freed from
their quarters. the two fine Durham bulls
belonging to the establishment, rendered
frantic by the action Of the fla mes, rushed
out into the street, and engaged in an ami.
mated fight, lasting until the building had
burned down and darknes was fast ap-
pruaching again.
The boarding house, near the barn, was
saved from destruction by the effective
handling of water buckets and their con-
tents by many willing hands.
The wagons. sIeighs, buggy and cutter
were all saved from the sheds adjoining the
barn.