The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-24
BAILEY BLOCK / q
The Total Damage Estimated to 30 About
$50. 200.

The Total Damage Estimated to 10 About
100000.
II ID estimated that tho damage to goods
and to the building in the Bailey block fire
ON Wednesday morning 10 about $3O,OW.
The chief of tho fire department thinks
that tho Are was of incendiary origin while
the insurance agents believe 1t started from
the furnace in the basement, which is used
for heating the building. I'he engineer in
charge, of the heating plant says no left the
building at 10 o'clock Tuesday evening.
Before leaving he says the fire in the fur
mace was banked aud everything appeared
to be all right. Pope y OConnor consider
their stock n complete loss. Their 1nsur-
agents: Wallace a. Thornburg, II. 4. Luke
Eco. and q. +. Ellis. This il is thought
covers the value of the goods. JackRon's
music house sustained a loss of about b.
coo; covered by 5000 insurance. I IN
stock il estimated to be worth $2o,UD.
These with other pianos were directly oyer we
the basement where tho fire started. u
smoke blistered and cracked the varnlsh.
Other musical instruments were also more
Or less damaged by the heat and smoke.
Furniture and fixtures were dsmaRGa
store on the south, occupied by Steele q
Clements, and others. The large plate
oiass il The front door was broken and an
| other large pane in one OF the WINDOWS
badly cracked by the heat. Other rooms
above were somewhat damaged by smoke.
third floor, were damaged to the extent OF
about $500. The transom WAS opened and
the smoke penetrated the inner room and
rendered worthless W. maps which we're
Just about ready for publication. ono OF
Meaghsr and another of Gallatin county,
and a plat of the Great Falls townslte.
Some confusion was created for a little
while on account of two alsrms being sent
in. Moses Quentin, a policeman whose
beat ia on Park avenue, saw the hre IN inc
basement from the avenue. He ran to box
No. %, at the foot of Broadway. The other
alarm was sent in from the box at MAIN
and Sixth avenue. The department did
good work. Water was kept of the first
floor and confined to the basement. Five
minutes after the pipe men got to the rear
of the building they had the IRE under CON
troll. Fire Marshal McKennon was highly
complimented yesterday on the ehclen'
services of himself and men.
George II. Fisher, one of the PRESCRIPTION
clerks in Pope & OConnor's drug store
was asleep in the rear o He had {
very narrow escape. He did not wake NJ
until tho Are was we'll under way. fishel
did not have time to dress and rushed on
the door and through the flames which CAM
clothes on. All of his clothing and othe1
personal effects were ruined. John O'Con
ner lost a fine overcoat which was in tn
rear room. When the fames burst through
the wooden partition separating the base
ments between the music house n TN
drug store the FIRE came up through a small
stairway and charred the woodwork in tn
rear. The basement of the drug store II
which was a large stock of chemicals ant
other drugs ia a complete wreck,
The fire attracted a large crowd. At frs
il looked as if the entire block would GO
There was fear of an explosion in the base
ment Of the drug store n the spectator
kept at a distance. Several barrels of aioo
hol exploded, but the only damage the
did was to increase the fire.