The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-23
TWAS ONLY CHARRED
The Old EyssOre Will Be Repaired
and Allowed to Stand.
FIRE IN THE BOARD OF TRADE
Individuals Lose Extensively. as
Little Insurance Was Carried
Close Call for De PAUL.
silver Coins Melted.

Fire broke out at $3.50 o'clock yester-
day morning in the Board OF Trade sa-
loon at the southeast corner OF Main
and Park streets. This is an old two
story log cabin veneered with brick.
The ground floor is used for saloon
and the second floor for gambling. The
fire started in q little room under the
stairway, used as a sleeping room.
There is a sofa in the room and little
coal oil stove. Fred De PAUL. who runs
the gambling rooms, had gone into the
little room, lit the stove and laid down
10 sleep. 1t is supposed that the stove
was turned up too high. or something
was the matter with 1t. for the fire un-
doubtedly originated from the stove.
Officer Barnaman saw the smoke COM
ing from the transom over the door
and at once turned in an alarm by the
time he got back from the alarm pox
the flames were bursting from the
doorway and one window and the stair.
way was a mass OF names. De M rMu
rushed out of the little sleeping room
1ust soon enough to save himself from
getting burned alive or sunocateo-
The stairway was burning ana nVe
men who were in the gambling roon
rushed to the windows OF the second
floor and cried frantically to be saved.
They were told to wait until the nre
department arrived and they "oulu os
taken care Of One or two seemed
about to lump from the windows and
take chances of breaking leg, but the
others held them back. =
when the department arrived a lad
der was placed to one of the WINDOWS
and the five men taken out. There was
a long and trying wait before any
- al xrrff w
turn a stream on the building. The
hydrant at Main and Park was frozen
and two iron wrenches were broken
in trying to turn IL on. A fireman was
dispatched to the fire station for two
more wrenches and they were both
broken and still the water was not
turned on. Finally water was obtained
by tapping the hydrants at Wyomng
and Park streets and Broadway and
Main. Meanwhile the flames had
gained great headway. The entire
building was burning and II was a long
time before the firemen made much
headway against 1t. After an hour
fighting the building was saved, but
the interior was gutted and everything
inside was total loss.
The building is one OF the old land
marks of Butte, having been originally
an old log cabin, bricked over in more
recent days 1t Is owned by Colonei
Horst 1t was not considered valuable
enough to keep insured and has prob
ably paid for itself scores OF times over
in rents. The saloon on the ground
floor was run by w: II. Davis MT
Davis had about $1,000 worth of stock,
furniture and fixtures there and had no
insurance. His loss is total. The
gambling rooms upstairs were run by
Fred De PAUL. He lost his faro tables,
chairs, racks, chips and furniture, to-
gether with lot of silver. The gold
he had placed in the safe and the paper
money in his pocket. The safe was
opened after the fire and everything in
IL found to be all right. The piles OF
silver which had been left at the faro
tables had melted UP. Some at least of
the silver was recovered but IL was so
badly melted that the piece which rep
resented a dollar before the fire only
represented about so cents after the
fire. De PAUL. estimates his total loss
at between 500 and $1,000, with no In
surance. .----.e.
At No. South Main street, next
door below the Board of Trade, is a
little one-story frame shack, also
owned by Colonel Horst, and occupied
by Victor Paltrovitch as a pawn shop.
This place was completely gutted and
everything in IL destroyed. There was
no insurance on the building. Mr. Pal
trovitch had 81 900 insurance on his
stock and estimates his loss between
$500 and $1,000. The pawn shop of
Edward Rose at No. 10 East Park
street, next east of the burning build
ing. was also much damaged. Mr..
Rose estimates his loss at between
$500 and s.. 900. with $500 insurance.
While the individual losses by the
fire are to be deeply regretted. II is
unfortunate, considering the interests
OF the city as a whole, that inasmuch
as the fire started il did not clean w
the corner and finish the job. The
corner is one OF the best sites in Butte
and should have a spendid building on
it. Had the old cabin burned clear
down a fine new block would un-
doubtedly be erected.
The whole row OF shacks in the
block is a disgrace TO the town. The
north side of Park has been built M
with imposing brick buildings Will,
the south side is still back in the
seventies. The fire did not go quits
far enough. The repairing of thu
Board of Trade began yesterday anC
business will be resumed in a shor
time. There is also apparent need o
an hydrant inspector. 1t should b.
someone's duty to inspect the hydrant
at frequent intervals and see that the.
ora ready for service in case of fire.