Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-28
THE CENTENNIAL FIRE.
Further Particulars Concerning the Loss
of this Old Butte Land-mark.

OF this Old Butte Landmark.
Further particulars of the fire that con
sumed the Centennial Hotel on Tuesda,
morning were learned yesterday. Thehote
has been in running order steadily since il
was first opened flor dinner on the 4th o.
July, 1876. 1t was ready for Iopening be.
fore that a feH days, but Dr...Beale, the
proprietor, was bound itVshould earn it's
name, The Centennial, fairly, and post.
poned it until the day of the hundredth
anniversary OF the birth OF the Republic.
There were many additions made to the
original structure. The lot on which it
stands fronts fifty feet on Main street and
200 f~eelson Granite. About a hundred feet
east of Main the lot widens out to the ex-
tent OF 125 feet from the street. The hotel
was considerably enlarged from it's original
design at various times and was two stories
high on Main street, with one story add.
lions on the Granite street front.
At the time OF the fire every room was
full. DIR. Beale had leased the house to J..
G. Baker last May. but occupied a room
on the second floor in the rear end of the
building on the south side. He says he was
awakened by a man hallooing and thought
someone had the nightmare, and being
accustomed to such noises thought no
more about it until the noise was repeated
and then he heard a cry of fire. Running
out into the hall he saw the fire making
Roadway across it from the middle of the
house. apparently coming out of the clothes
room. He tried to reach the Babcock ex-
tinguishers. which are in the front OF the
house, but found it then impossible. Then
he returned to his room and put on his
shoes and pants and made another attempt
to reach the Babcocks. At that time no
one was in the hall. He heard Frank Bate
man and Kinnerly, the night clerk, halloo-
ing, and on going back met Mr.. Rutherford
who occupied a room on the Granite street
front, "Good God," said he, sswhat shall
we dor" "We'l do the best we CAM re.
piled Rutherford and together they pro-
ceeded to v the lives of all within reach
and what little property they could.
The progress of the flames was SO rapid
that little could be done. Fortunately
through the efforts OF these two and.Frank |
Bateman, who, after seeing his wife. child !
mother in safety, returned and devoted
his efforts successfully to rescuing the |
OF the bedrooms. the guests
were warned in time. No time was
left. so swift were the flames in their work. |
to save anything by the guests except their |
wearing apparel. Through the efforts of
Messrs. Mccormick and Cudahy, Mr.. Foster,
h was IN a front room lying ill with pneu-
monia, was carried outsafely. Helost $3.50
in money. but his two watches were after
recovered intact. Mr.. Rutherford
lost $410 and two watches, which in his
bury he overlooked.
There were only two lives lost by the fire,
that OF Jesse Glidden, whose body was
on the floor of the second story
ronf rnnn noor tho usnla- oo-z.1aro III, II
burned, and Frank Lincoln, Postmaster
brother-in-law, whoseinjuries we're
more serious than at first reported and
who died next morning from the effects OF
his burns. An inquest was held on
heir remains or Tuesday at which a
verdict was returned in accordance with
'he facts. Glidden had evidently gone to
'leep on. a chair n was in all likelihood
'mothered to death where he sat, %uncon-
'cious oil his fate. His relatives at Cincin-
lati have been communicated with and his
body is held at Pettit's undertaking es-
'ablisment awaiting their disposal. The
,ody of Frank Lincoln was taken to
Naterville, Maine, last evening, accom-
panied by Nh. and Mrs. Talent. via the
Pacific. In spite of the terrible
he sustained, it will be q consola- .
ion to his friends to know that his end
vas painless.
LIZ. Beaie's theory regarding the fire is ]
some person must have entered the
lothes room forsome purpose and dropped
match among the in1ammable stuff
here. The actual cause will probably
ever be known. The loss falls heavily on
pr. Beaie who owned all the furniture in the
Iouse as well as the building upon which !
here was no insurance. The Doctor has
70 plans yet al to what he will do, bat
loes not intend to allow the property Go :
emain idle longer han he can help. The J
'ork OF removing the charred ruins will , :
begun in a day or SO. !
George Newkirk was q heavy loser by the
re. losing everything contained in bis
aloon in the Main street front, except his
aiuable cabinet OF minerals and curios,
'hlch 1t is believed is not exceeded for ex-
emit and richness in the United States. =
TRANCE to say, though the fire was over c
around it, not even the glass front was 8
racked- This was due mainly to the ex-
raordinary efforts of Dave Meikleiohn, q
no ran q desperate risk in handling one of &
nozisles, persistently playing on the Ere ID