The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-06-13
AN EARLY MORNING BLAZE,
The Milwaukee House Catches Fire-No
One Injured.

The Milwaukee House Catches Fire-No
One Injured.
The Milwaukee hotel caught fire about
4:45 Thursday morning in the roof of the
kitchen in the rear of the hotel proper.
and but for the good work done by the
fire department the entire structure
would undoubtedly have been destroyed.
James McClung, the night clerk, dis
covered the fire soon after it started and
Immediately rushed across the street to
the hose-house and gave the alarm. The
changing bell sounded out on the still
morning air, summoning the fire boys to
turn out. Mingled with the noise of the
bell was the rapid, successive cracks of
a siX-shoOtcr which a policeman in front
Of the hotel had the presence of mind to
fire off, at the same time yelling Fire.
"Fire!'
A few minutes after the alarm first
sounded the fire department had two
strong streams of water playing on the
roof of the kitchen and through some of
the windows on the fire. A hole was
chopped in the roof and a deluge of
water was sent through the opening
which % put the fire in that part of
the building completely out.
No sooner was the fire cXtinguished
there than smoke began to comc from
the roof of the main building on the
gable end adjoining the kitchen. 1t was
very evident that if the fire got a good
start there the whole building would be
doomed. The firemen then all began to
show their mettle in Il mannerthat would
be gratifying to the chief of a mctropoli-
tan department. They dragged a hose
up two flights of stairs until they were
right under the fire. then cut a hole in
the ceiling and turned the water on it.
The other boys on the outside had not
been idle. With strong hands they
raised one of the long ladders on the
north end of the building and
some of the bravest walked
along the peak to where the smoke was
issuing from the roof and deliberately
chopped holes directly over the fire
Those holding the hose on the ground
turned the stream on the roof and sent q
torrent of water in the building. Fol
about - minutes it was very doubtful
which side would win-thc fire or the
firemcn. But there was too much good
Missouri water playing on the fire for il
to last long, and after a few more feeble
efforts it went completely out in the
face of the miniature Niagara.
The building was thoroughly soaked
on the inside, the plaster and paper fall
ing off in a number of rooms. The car
pets and bedding were all pretty wei
dampened. Not a single room escaped
from the water, and jim Carrier, the
proprietor. is of the opinion that the en-
tire building will have to be ~repapcred
and replastered.
The building is owned by Winters q
Roberts who were carrying about 5000
insurance on the property. They are
damaged in the ncighborhood Of Sl,JO0
The furniture and fixtures, the property
of James Carrier, were insured for about
$500 in various companies. His loss
mus be in the neighborhood Of 5000
though at this writing it would be diff.
cult to figure it with any accurcy. The
insurance adjuster will examine the
ruined property in a day or So.
The house will be repaired and thrown
open to the public about the first Of
July and possibly sooner.
FIRE NOTES.
The boys all worked like beavers.
Chief Judd was here one minute and
there the next. There's no flies on o Il
fire marshal.
Some of the members Of the depart
mcnt didn't hear the bell at all. We
must have a larger bell. Yesterdays cX
pcrlcnce demonstrated that fact.
For regular old time fire fighters j
would be hard to beat w. II. Black. jim
Barns, Ted Hanson and IA host of Others
We might name.
cral hundred of James Carriers cigar
during the excitement. Such practice,
should be guarded against at the mex
fire.