Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1890-07-20

A Brief Destructive Blaze.


NEW YORK. July ls.-The Western
Union telegraph building caug I fire
at O'Clock this morning, little while
before seven hundred people had come
to their days work. The distributing
room on the fifth floor. the operating
room on the floor above and the Ass0-
cisted Press rooms and restaurant Oh
the seventh floor were completely de-
stroyed aud seven lives were miracu-
lously saved by firemen. II was q
beautiful and at the same time ter.
rifying sight to see the fire shoot out
from the windows, fully fifty feet
around the entire building, ana be
blown back like great fiery tongues to
lick the roof of the building. Finally
the flames died away altogether and
left smoky and chsrred bricks where
window frames had been. The eatire
upper pert OF the building was putted
and every instrument hnd wire rem
dered useless. How the fire originated
no one seems to know positively, but
II is sui missed that two Of the compa-
ny's electric wires got crossed and set
the flooring on fire. The offices OF the
associated press suffered more Than
any others In the great building. The
floors were flooded to the depth Of
foot or more, and the destruction which
was 30 we'll started by the fre was ab.
solutely completed by the water.
When the day force arrived. shortly
Def re o'clock, 1t wss but too evident
that the usefulness of the great build
Ing was at sn end for the present.
Every facility was offered the Western
Union by the officers of the Pen nsyl-
vania railroad company aud before the
fire was fairly under control, vsrious
circuits OF the associated press were In
active operation. The building 10
filled with offices on the five lower
floors which are occupied by some Of
the greatest railroad nagnates In the
world. The vast system Of the Pacific
railroads is operated through instruc,
tions given from the Western Union
building and there are the private
offices of Jay Gould, Sidney Dillon,
DIR. Norvin Green snd others who are
almost equally famous. The loss Is
heavy. The large switch board In the
operating room alone cost $50, 600. The
sssocia'ed press loses Its instruments,
typewriter-, furniture aud all of its
books, papers and records dating from
1915, and valuable re erence library.
This loss IL irieparable. All OF the
material + the history Of the growth
Of the pres in America, contained In
the letter books and files, is destroyed
and can never be replaced. The money
value is estimated at $4,000. There
is no insurance. Hon. William Henry
smith. general manager. is person ally
q heavy loser bv the destruction Of
rare books and papers, many Of which
cannot be duplicated. Among these
were hundreds Of rare pamphlets col.
lected in Europe. which Mr.. Smith
supposed were secure 10 fireproof
building. Extensive correspondence
of great value was also consumed.
Gen. Eckert, ,ice-president OF the
Western Union, is OF the opinion the
loss Of that company will not much
exceed 100000. He also believes they
will be able to employ a considerable
force In the main Railways In lay OF
two. Already new switch boards are
on the way from Philadelphia and slI
that energy and money can do to re-
store service for the public will be done
The loss on the building Is estimated
at $3.50, 900.
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