The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-05-05
THE CHALLIs FIRE.


| DEAR KEYsroFE. The people 81
Challis on the evening Of the 18th
of April. were shocked 1t the cry
of fire. It was at the hour of the
evening meal, and many we're al
| the table. The Challis house guests
were gathered when the first alarm
was given, and they proceeded al
once to aid in every possible way.
Upon examination it was found
that the third story or attic of the
hotel was one solid mass of flames
from one end to the other, and il
being large building. it was evil
dent, with the poor facilities the
town has for extinguishing fire,
that the house must 60. The neigh.
bors all came to the call, and were
ready to aid in every manner, and
a great many went to saving what
ever was movable, but the FIRE had
got such Roadway before the dis
covery, and there was such a strong
wind that as quick as the flames
burst out it was only a few minutes
until the whole structure, which
was of wood, was in a dangerous
state even to approach. The furn-
iture was largely consumed. The
Challis house was owned by Lieu
tenant Governor Willie, and. was
one of the best furnished hotels in
all the mountain country. As soon
az it was seen that the hotel was
lost, a grea. many went to work to
prevent the spread of the flames to
the block on the north side of the
street, on which was located the
old store of Rollin Wheeler's estate,
the Silver Messenger Office, Miss
Felkner's fruit store, the McGown
meat market, Drumiter's store, the
sheriff's Office, the law Office of n.
J. Sharp and the old Hardenbrook
drugstore building, which until re-
Gently had been used as the office
for the Graphic newspaper. Besides
these were the barn and sheds of
Thomas Jose. the Challis house
stable and the residence of Mr..
Jose. It was thought at first these
could be saved, but the wind was
so strong, and coming from an
unusual course-the southeast-it
was almost as soon as thought seen
that all that could be done was to
save some of the contents of the
buildings.
The wind at once changed from
driving nearly up the street to the
right, bearing the tfamea directly
across on to this block. The wind
came stronger and stronger, like
the heavy waves of the ocean dash
ing over the beach-one following
the other in fearful rapidly, and
each successive billow seeming anx-
ious to rush farther than its leader,
until it was but very few minutes
when no one could go near the
front buildings on that side, and
all, as enumerated above, with the
of Mr.. Jose's residence,
persisted in the flames in an almost
incredible short time. Little was
saved, for the reason that as the
people moved to some new field,
thinking they could save it, the fire
followed and drove them away.
There was quite force who tried
to save the Smith saloon-the old
corner of Scott & Stchirstchkie in
early days. They, however, saved
but little excepting what stock was
in the stone vault in the rear. The
building was consumed. By active
and kindly labor of all, the pest
Office building on the opposite corr
ner was saved.
1t was very fortunate that in all
this wild confusion no person has
been injured. The loss is very heavy.
for town so small. The hotel was
the pride of our county and it had
done much to encourage and en-
rich the county. It's loss will
be a sad blow, and the losses of
others will amount to considerable
than they were able to
bear. There is no insurance, ex-
cepting on the hotel property. We
$4,000 was carried on
that, but by what company are not
advised. 1t was a sad day for our
lovely little town of Challis.
We should judge that what has
been destroyed originally cost not
far from $4,000. Of course, in this
dsarth of our land it would
not hou hro,,nhf that v,o,,on hnf