The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-09-30
The Silver City Suffers from the
Most Disastrous Fire in
Its History.
Big Dry Goods Houses. Fine Blocks
and the First National Go
Up in Smoke.
A Number Of Firemen Ipfored to w.,
seriOusly-List Of Of the Losses
and the Insurance.

II
an incendisry. Some weeks ago J. N.
Bowes began TO build a 6ve-story building
at the southeast corner Of Utah and West
Granite streets. The walls OF this build
| ing had been completed. the roof mt on
and the front partially finished, and to-day
the plumbers and sieamitters were at work
in the building, when FIRE started in pile
OF rubbish in the engine room q the north
east corner Of the basement No one en-
pIoyed on the building admits that the fire
occurred through fault OF theirs. but the
presence of so many men 10 the building
forbids the theory of Incendlarism, which is
INDUCED in by some.
The progress of the fire was exceedingly
rapid from the start A high wind was
blowing from the west, and the partially
opened front OF the BOwes' building gave
terrible draught which famed tht flames
into tremendous fury. The FIRE was dis
covered at exactly u O'Clock, ana a few
minutes later the FIRE department and IN.
fire brigade were on the scene. and for the
next hour aud . half engaged in a desperate
hand tO-hand encounter with the II ames
At 80 it was under control.
After burning the Bowes building. the
fire jumped across the street and DESTROYED
four twO-story brick buildings on the north
side of Granite street; it also passed from
the BOwes building east 70 the corner of
Main, destroying everything in its path. IL
then passed south on Main street, destroy
ing four buildings there.
The losses and insurance, as completely
as they can be gotten together in the pres
ent confusion, are as follows:
j. NJ. BOwes, unfinished building, loss
$4,000, insured for $4,000; Whitman &
Whitney, contractors on BOwes building,
loss Sis, 900, insured for IS, 600; Richard
HAuser of Helena, one story frame, lust
east OF BOwes building, loss 81 500. no in
surance. This building Was occupied by
DIR. Sarchet, who also loses 81, 500. unIn-
sured; VIM. j. Mcnamara, one story
frame, loss 81 500. uninsured. This build
ing was occupied by DIR. Johnston, who
also loses SI,5OO. uninsured; Z II. Their
man loses SIS 600 on his stock Of pianos,
organs and undertsker's goods, insured for
s5, 500. The building he occupied was
owned by j. NJ. BOwes; loss Sl,5OO, IN
insured. The ID. j. Hennessy Mercantile
company occupied the corner Of Main
street and Granite with q dry goods en-
pOrium Of large proportions, and every
thing Is a complete loss. The stock was
enormous, the company having Just
bought for the fall trade, and Mr..
Hennessy fixes the loss at Sl25, 900.
The insurance in the different companies
foots up SIS, 900. This building was owned
By John O'Rourke, whose loss Is S25,OOO,
offset by $4,000 insurance The upper
80 81.
dence and photograph gallery by j. j.
DusseOn, who loses $1,000. He was in
sured for 81, 500.
South of Hennessy's was the First Ma
tional Bank, which was completely de-
stroyed; the bank loses $4,000. the in
sursnee on which cannot be ascertAined.
Knowles & FOrbis occupied the second
fiOor. Judge Knowles loses $1,000 on bis
library, Offset By 81 900 insurance; John T.
Forbis loses S2.O0l, with no Insurance.
South of the bank was KahnweileT's dry
goods store, a ODe-stOry brick building.
which was entirely consumed; loss SS5 OOO,
insured for $4,000. The building was
owned by Henry Jonas, who loses $40 coo;
insurance So, 600.
Next south came the twO-stOry brick
the Centennial Brewing company
This was also destroyed, causing loss Of
$4,000, insurance unknown South of
this was c. II. PslmeTs dry goods store.
The fire was checked in the Schmidt &c
Gamer building, and Palmer was damaged
probably to the extent of $1,000 by water.
He is absent in san Francisco, and his ex-
act loss and insurance cannot be ascer-
tanned.
The next store south was that of L. c.
BabcOck * Co. Mr.. BabcOck places his
damage by water and the FIRE At $1,000,
fully covered by insurance. The rear ends
of the Miner building, Mantle q Warren's
Office, and ii. L. Franks building were also
damaged to the extent of $3.50 each, covered
by insurance
The above buildings were situated Ia the
north and east sides Of the block in which
the fire broke out. From the north side of
Granite street, TO which the FIRE spread
from the Bowes building, the FIRE jumped
to the Barnard block. This is a twO-stOry
brick block, fronting 125 feet Mr.. Barnard
loses $50, 600 on the building, insurance S45,-
O00 The occupants Of the building were
Cushing's drug sore loss s5 900. insurance
unknown; Samuel Perry, tailor shop, loss
$500, no insurance; Miss Deering, millinery,
loss 81. 500, insurance unknown; MeLees q
Co, iewelry, loss $1,000, insurance $1,000.
). t. Kemper & Co., real estate agents,
loss $500, fully covered; DE-. J. W. Reed,
| dentist, loss 81 500, no insurance; Butte
snd Boston ofnces, loss $500, no IBsurar ce;
| DIR. Schultz, loss $500, no insurance; DIR
Il Q fra
| DIR. Gillespie, loss $500. no insurance
East Of the Bsrnsrd block, on the north
west corner of Main and Granite, was the
Bonner Mercantile Co.'s store. After hard
lighting this building was saved, the rear
end and the stock being DAMAGED 70 the
extent OF So5. 600. fully covered by Insur-
ance.
West of the Barnard block -.
story brick belonging 70 Mrs. A. G. Bisboo
This building was destroyed. loss 81. 600
insured for $4,000. It was occupied by DIR.
J. W. Howard, whose loss il 81 500, uufn-
sured-
Next west came two story brick,
owned By A W. Barnard, which was
damaged n the extent Of $1,000; insured
for 5000. There the Granite street ERE
was finally checked.
These figures make the total loss by fire
Sf16, go and the total Insurance S2Z7, $50
Bot1 estimates are very nearly correct, but
may be slightly increased Oy further in
vestigation-
DR. Gleason. while fghtlRg the IRE. had
his face and hands badly burned and is AZ
the hoepi al in q critical condition. Charles
Schaetzlein and Elmer Chapman were
injured By falling wall of the Hennessy
building while playing q stream on the
ruins about q O'clock SchAetziein IA not
seriously hurt but Chapman IL TERRIBLY
injured shout the head, and il il fear q
that he has also sustained internal injuries.
He IL = teAmster, living AZ South Butte,
and has family OF three children BIs
recovery n not expected.