Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-04

uPSAs
The fire broke out on the third floor and
soon the upper fl ors were cut off from the
street. The building was on the corner
and the adjoining buildings were only one
story in height, so no means OF escape was
afforded in that direction. The flames cut
off the escape Of the Pioneer Press force on
the sixth floor, as well as the Tribune folks
on the seventh and eighth.
Reporter Barnes OF the Pioneer Press
had a narrow escape from the building,
and left behind him Milton Pickett, assist
ant city editor, and one of the oldest men
in the service of the paper. Pickett was
lost in the building. The Tribune force
suffered most, they being higher up. and
had less warning of their danger.
James Igoe. the night operator OF the
Associated Press, met with a sad death.
He was at work on the seventh floor when
the report OF fire was received and imme.
diately opened the key stating the fact to
the head Office at Chicago and asking for
minutes time to investigate. Soon he re-
turned to the instrument, apparently
thinking he was sale and told the sending
operator to continue. In amoment he said
he would have to skip and found it too
late AMI that escape was cut of. He
Jumped from the seventh story window
and was so badly injured that he died be-
fore reaching the hospital. He leaves q
family.
Old man Pierce. a printer. also was
killed.
One report says ten have been killed, but
up to midnight only six bodies hane been
taken from the ruins, which were then fall
ing in.
A general alarm was turned in all the
engines in the city responded te the call.
The imprisoned printers gathered at the
windows in the south end and shrieked
"Hurry the ladders, for Gods sake, was
shrieked with all the vehemence and power
that the anguished dozens in peril OF their
lives could muster.
A vast crowd from the opposite side
viewed the fire wreak it's work and shouted
words OF encouragement and good spirits
to tn em in the strenuous endeavors to hurry
them up. The long ladders seemed to mov'
nm at a snail's pace, but was finally restee
in position and the crowd began to de
scend. the flames making steady head
way. :,
| Another. whose name could not b.
learned. appeared at the window and, no
seeinp the ladder the firemen were raising
annsrently lost his senses, and drawing
revolyer from his pocket placed it to ri
head and fired, falling backward into tn
W. II. Hoover and W. q. Williams, tn
Latter foreman OF the composing room
were taken off just in time to escape clou
az flames that twept the window in whic
they were standing. Williams was oadl
Jimmy Kohl, q messenger boy on tn
Tribune, Is said to be missing. The Dullo
ING burned with such rapidity that the o.
I cupants were enveloped in flames an
h smoke before they were aware OF it.
The sixty-five men working on the se'
Q anth f1oor made q dash in body Tor tt
8 stairvav. Forty made the run in saiet
= a nd cot ont, the rest mads frantic e1ol
to GET through the binding smoke. Fi'
~ these were cut off at the fourth hoe
and jumped to the pavement. Three
d them were badly hurt, and the other tW
A. J. Blethen, proprietor Of the Tribun
9 says he heard the cry OF fire and start start,
snund the flames bursting out OF the Unic
league league rooms. Some men were trying u
successfully to subdue them. He iumpt
v into the elevator to get fire extlnguishe
which he supposed was on the fourth not
!, and started up after IL. -.
d Lie nets were brought and some we
saved by this means. The entire buildin
less than an hour was e =. sss 1rsstons % sn
70 the adjoining buildings, occupied Dy n
!. taurant, saloon and a tailor store a
doomed. ,,,. svo.xear.o
L .t,ncture and was valued at $5O'
DroA no Tha ioss will probably reach q N
goU go dollars. The insurance could not
q asSs.h AZ the morgue lay Ave bodies; that :,
prof.. Olsen being inclosed In q pialn p'