The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1893-06-16
A Big BLAZE.
The Fire Fiend Destroys -Four
Business Buildings EARLY
Sunday Morning.

At about two O'Clock last Sunday morning
our citizens were aroused from their slulnber
by tue alarm Of fire. In very short time
almost every malo citizen in town had re-
sponded to the alarm. and had congregated at
the burning structure, which proved to DO the
Hench building. A bucket brigade was i'm
mediately formed. the greater part of those
present working like troopers to help exiting
uish the flames, and to try and save the valu
ables from the law Office of C. j. Paul and
the hardware store Of G. II. & H. j. Merriell,
the buildings adjoining. In All incredibly
short time the furniture, books and papers in
Mr.. Paups Office had been taken out and car
ried to place of safety, as well as the ac.
count books and valuable papers from Mer-
riell Bros. hardware store. The citizens
worked like Trojans to eubdue the flames in
tho Hench building and to keep the fro from
communicating to the buildings adjoining.
location Of what little wind there was they
were successful in the latter effort, the build
Ing burning to the ground with the exception
OF the east wall, which was left standing, and
the fire almost eXtinguished on it, while the
rest of tho building was reduced to ashes. Tho
building of Attorney Paul was not even
scorched up to this time, such effective work
had the fire brigade done, and wo were all
congratulatng ourselves upon the achieves
ment of preventing any greater danger. But
IN the meantime tho fiend who had first set
the Hench building, not being yet satisfied
with his devillsh work, had applied his fire
brand to the hay NOW of Hill'e livery stable,
which fact was discovered almost Immediately
after it was set. In a flash, however, tho
whole barn was in flames, and all that could
be done was to save the horses and carriages,
and the office flxturos-tlie horses having been
moved during the progress of tho first fire in
to the front part of the stable that they might
| the easier be removed if necessary. When
| the livery stable teok fire it foretold the doom
OF the buildings which had been saved from
| the first fire and they We're soon afame. while
all the effort was concentrated towards keep
ing tho destructive flames from cOmmunica-
ting to the Northwestern Hotel and tho black
smith and wagon shops of A. s. Moote, lust
north of the burning district. BY the incess-
ant work of a large force putting out the
burning emhers this object was attained and
out doubt the work Of an ncoudiary, but the
motives are not SO easily accounted for. Our
people hold many opinions, but it ia best, in
our estimation, not to give voice to any Of
them at this time through the columns of the
PIONEER. The man who set the fire was seen
by a lady at the depot who was sitting up
with Mrs. Thurston, who was cutie III, and it
was this early discovery Of tho fire which en-
abled the fire fighters to so quickly and COM
pletely get the flames on the Hench building
subdued. The fire was set on the roof at tho
southwest corner of this building, and the
ladder uoed for the purpose was found by the
first arrivals at the fro standing where it had
been used by the fro bug. It is reported that
tho lady who discovered the fire also saw the
man who is supposed to have set it run away
after it was lighted and disappear in the Nel
sOn Lumber yard,