The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-31
A BLAZE ON MAIN STREET.
The Flames Went Upward While thu
Mercury Travelled Downward.

The Flames Went Upward While the
Mercury Travelled Downward.
Fire started in the rear of the former
Bodega restaurant on north Main street
shortly after eight O'clock last night, and
in an hour the one-story wooden building
adjoining the B4ch-Cory store on the north
was a mass of smoked and burned timbers,
with large icieles pendant from the ~cornice,
the ceiling. and every other place where
there was q chance for them to hang on.
For while the fire was burning on the east
side of this street, the Thermometer right
opposite registered "a below zero. The or
igin OF the FIRE is somewhat of a mystery,
and there are many who think 1t was of in
cendlary origin. Duncan Taylor. proprl-
etor of the Bodega, who had Just moved his
cafe n few doors above, SAYS
there was no fire in the kitchen
range of the old place yesterday.
During tbs ate noon he had q carpenter
there taking down some of the old fix
lures, and to enable the mar to work a
a fire was built in the stove III what WAS
formerly the eating room. When the man
stopped work the ire, he says, was put out.
Even if 10 hadn't from tue accounts of those
nearest the blaze when it begun, the fire
did not start from the heating stove in the
lining room, but IN the annex to the rear,
used as Il kitchen. Fire Marshal Mckinnon,
who happened to be near BY, turned in the
alarm from box 81, corner Main street and
Sixth avenue. The fire apparatus got there
in az rood time as could be expected, con-
sidering the sllppery state OF the streets.
BY the time of their arrival. however, the
fire had gotten some Roadway, and WAS
working north to the rear of the
building. The second store of the block,
occupied by j. NJ. Pete son as a saloon. was
next attacked from the rear and on The
roof. lhe last store of the block, going
moth, is occupied by Lynn d Schimpf as a
barber shop. The room and the rear of
this also caught. Both places were emptied
Of their more valuable contents 10y the fire
men and citizens, though fete;son had
some y@luahle stock in the rear which could
not be reached on account OF the fl . and
smoke. The bar Aud natures, glassware
and liquors of the saloon, aud the mirrors,
shaving utensils and other things III the
barhtr shop, were gottea out sBiely, lht
lighter and more valuable stock Was tRkeI
IN to Pope d OCounor's store. and the otiel
mart INTO other places. Peterson IL The
heayie loser. HIS lOsa on stocE will amour
to 500 or 500, on winch there is DO iuaur-
ancs. Iue loss to tie BARRIERS through
breakaQs and stoppage OF business vii
&. ubGblv reach 500. They have no lugut-
ance. Duncan Taylor lost something OF
the futures which no still had in the 30
depg. The loss on tho building, whicn be.
/ lDTlLS Ia AiI'TthcU q t1sFcTlukf, VIII prop
ably r,acs 500. The i3ach-Cory store Wa
slightly wetled by a streaEl accidental
directed 81 ough an opened door for d fes
minutes.
Despite the intense cold r big crowd col
lects1 IN the neighDorhooc Of the fire. n
wotk of the iremen was tersIb y unpIeaB
ant with tho Thermometer working dow
towards thlrty-tlye d grees below. IN
/, spray from the streaIuS fr0zs OF
their faces, their hands and thai
clothing, and hung from thoin ia the snap
! of ieicles. save al OF them suffered IN
} teueely from the cold. aud j, +. Glbson ha,
the fingers Of both hands frosted. Hi,
tire WAS hard TO reach and burned yer
stubbornlv. When 1t was finally unde
, control, the building was one big string o
~iciclcs, the water freezing almost as fast n
, it fell. When the ii 6 was over, a plug or
2 posite ana atxt to the Bailey block. burs'
and dashed q stream OF spray against I'll
windoWs and doorway OF Pope ~ OCor
not's. Ii froze az 1t struck. sua the viii
!; dows, doorway and woodwork and stout
work surrounding were coated with ice.