Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-02

had gained such Roadway asto make it out
Of the question to %extinguish it
With the facilities at hand. The
gentlemen mentioned say that the fire
spread With such rapidityy ovsr the first
floor as to make it appear as if a mass OF
powder or oil was burning, instead Of
wood even OF the most inlammable ma
ture. Mrs. Bradley, who. resides on the
| west side OF Utah street, on the corner oil
] the alley. was standing in front OF her
house and declares that h a man come
out OF the basement OF the burned building
not over a minute before the fire was dis
covered. and run down the alley east to
the one extending north and south, and
! then disappear.
The two plumbers say positively that the
| fire started in the front end OF
the basement, and as nobody was In
that part OF the building at the
theory OF incendiarism certainly holds
good. To further strengthen the belief
that the building was fred, both Messrs.
Whitney and Whitman, who had the con-
tract for it's erection, were in the structure
not twenty minutes before the fire began
and no signs Of fire were to be seen any
where, although they inspected every one
of the lower floors.
Only a few minutes before the alarm was
given another fire was discovered in q
small frame clubhouse in the alley between
Park and Broadway and Immediately in
the rear o: P%inkham's store on Park street.
La lady and several children dis
covered it at about the same
time and alarmed a man who resides
in a small cabin between the alley and
Broadway who extinguished it with a few
buckets full OF water. Another fire was
also discovered in the rear OF the ruins OF
the old Centennial hotel on the southwest
corner of Main and Granite streets. This,
however, is supposed to have been started
from flying cinders from the Bowes build
ing. .s..
Rumors, of course, were flying thick and
fast and all sorts of stories, some of them
OF the most absurd kind, were wildly cir
eulated and, rs they passed from mouth to
mouth, grew in wildness and ahsurdity.
Among some OF the rumors was one to the
effect tn 1T the incendiary had been caught
and was in charge of the police. The story
was soon traced to have no foundation,
but had it proven to be really true. a hang
ing would have furnished additional ex.
element, as no mercy would have been
shown to the wretch.
The Firemen's Good Work.
During and after the fire there were heard
on all sides the most, unqualified praises OF
the work of the iremen. The paid depart
ment acted with promptness, decision
and good judgment, and the services
of the Brigade could not have been
exceeded in excellence. The Brigade's car
housed at the pavilion building. was
the first on the scene, and from the be-
ginning to the end of the danger the
boys stuck manfully at their post. For a
long time there was but one stream at the
corner OF Utah and Granite streets but to
that one stream must be attributed the
prevention If the westward spread OF the
fire. Both sides of Granite street were
drenched in turn, and strange as it may
appear it is nevertheless true that that
one stream held the flames in cheek. The
other streams were not less judicioussy
managed, and that one which played
from the roof OF the Bonner
block into the roaring furnace where once
the Barnard block has stood did yoeman
duty. The fremen were at all times ably
assisted by the crowd, and the volunteers
did not shrink even when the hose they
were handling caught fire and burned in
their very grasp.
Fortunately the supply OF water was
ample at all times. For this the Moulton
Mining company is to be thanked. The
manager signalled from the Office to
the mine and diverted its own
supply and the Vaudeville and
CeDterville supplies into the city reser-
voirs and increased the contribution by the
mine water forced into the reservoir by the
Cornish pump. The Alice, too, put their
pump and line of hose in readiness to in
rease the reservoir supply, but it's water
was not needed. The Alice mine fire force
came to town and did most excellent work
in assisting the city firemen.
More h once while the fire ragged, men
were heard to remark: "If the moss-backs
OF the city council ever realize that we
need better protection against fire, and
make q decent appropriation for the SER
ice, we won't have to send out of town
for our fremen."
The Militia Called Out.
Very early in the engagement the militia |
were called out by order OF Colonel Lloyd.
The Emmett guards, Washington guards
and Montana Rifles responded PROMPTLY |
and in sufficient numbers to establish a line
OF guards on all the streets leading to the
scene OF excitement. The boys did not |
wait to don their uniforms but. reported
in civilian dress and remained on duty,
keeping back the crowds and preventing
encroachment until both the
excitement and the fire had abated. Some
the citizens were inclined to disregard
the injunctions of the soldiery and all such
were convinced by a sharp prodwith a
bayonet that a militiaman, armed
with a bayonetted rifle, even if not arrayed
in blue and brass, is not an object to be
1esplsed. After the need of protection had
ceased some OF the militiamen made their
in full uniform. They looked
pretty and, made themselves conspicuous
The men who did duty were in plain, every
lay attire.
Police Regulations.
While the best of order p~revailed-for a
ire scene-it is not improbable that there
would have been confusion and wholesale .
offering had not the police and militia reg i
been SO thorough and strict and
o faithfully observed. In turning back +
ne iuconsiderate lunatics who wanted,
eemingly, to drive over hose, carts and
eople and into the very heart of the t