Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-01-10
|AO FIRE ON CENTRAL AVENUE
DESTROYED about $4,000 Worth
of Property Before the Flames
Were Conquered.
III -, =,
Driyer. Bradley Drug Company, }. f
Va Fox, Murphy -MacIay, and Nate
III Wertheim Chief Losers.

Briver- Bradley drug store on Central
|¥ue came down to open up the store
Tia noticed smoke issuing from Fox's
|fruit store. next door. Just about the
same time parties passing in the rear of
the store in the alley also discovered
that fire was in progress, and few
MINI utes later an alarm was given to the
fire department, which promptly res
4ronded. When they arrived on the spot
they found that the whole of the store
occupied by Fox's fruit business was
mass of flames, and, worse still, the
flames had entered the Driver Bradley
store and secured a firm hold on the
combustibes stored there. 1he stores
are in the same block, divided 10y
brick partition wall. Ii this wall had
gone clear up to the roof 1t
I. is possible that some of the damage IN
aShe Driver Bradley store might have
been avoided, as there would havo been
time to remove some OF the goods. AS
IL was the flames came through the
partition Just above the brick dividing
wall and in an incredibly short space of
time the whole building was 30 filled
with thick sufocating Smoke that moth
ing could be done toward rescuing any
of the contents. Mr.. DoWty, who Is the
business manager and an Interested
party in the firm of the Driver Bradley
Drug company, SAID 70 TRIBUNE re-
porter that he has been IN the habit OF
sleeping in the store. Yesterday morn
ing Wheu he first was wakened by the
cry of fire, the smoke from the IoX
building WAS just commencing TO come
through the partition, and before he
could get himself dressed it had become
90 thick and suiIocating that he had
barely time to seize the books and
!. papers belonging to the firm aud escape
from the building. At that time the
smoke and flames were pouring into toe
drug store in ever increasing voluuea.
The department soon saw that the new
Murphy Mauiay building, including the
drug store and fruit store, Wera dunm"I
and devoted all their energies to prevent
the fire ppraed,ng tn the Ford block On
the east. occupied by Nate NrrtheIm
and Batamau a. S%ItI E., dod the old
Murphy Naciay bulldog on tho Woet
This Was no easy task, I've tire iuuni
plenty of Iutlammable etuti u the drug
store to feed on and showed u strong
tendency to mako its way INTO the
FORD block especially, 1t was here that
the main fight Of tho tire department
WAS made. Fortunately most Of the
stock Of highly intlammable stuifa, IN
cluding barvela of alcohol, iinseei oil,
neatsfuot oil and varnlshes, were stored
in the cellar, and as the fire entered the
Driver Bradley store from above and
ragged mostly on the main iloor. the
, caylng in Of the roof and thih floor some
what protected the material i'll the col
lar and it did NOT catch tire.
Hal th,4 stuff once got aiira il wouI1
hava added mach 10 the difficulty OF nrU-
venting tur further spread OF lnn fire.
Another lucky circumstance was the
fact that there was hrtIpa VI any wind
blowing at the time. Notwithstanding
the inlels, coIl, the thermometer mark
ing over ~ heluW zero, the tire depart
:, ment fought the lire pre=istent!y and
eneFgelicaly and liualy succeeded in
overcoming il. The tircmen worked in
the wet and cold with frozen clothes
and "A number II them were more or esH
frost bitten. They therefore appreciated
very fully the thoughtful and timely act
of Il. &. Phelps, who had u pailful OF
hot coffee made at a neighbDring res
taurant and served it out to the cold
and exhausted hrHmru who found ii Just
the thing they needed. " VAS about
three hours after the tire department At.
rived bet re tho tire was conquered
It ls probably the most costly fire tins
city has "ver experienced since its or
ganiHatpn. The heaviest sufferer ie th.
Driver Bradley Drug company and, un
fortunately, they were without any AIDE
quate insurance. The stock If good
carried by this firm nventoried $4,000
last July, when the stock was much
lighter rnun 1t this season Of the year
They were carrying over a very large
stock OF holiday GOODS which they had eX
pectcd to wholesale, but were dieGp
pointed IN dieposing Of it. 1t is proba
bic that the stock would have inyen
toried considerably over 100000 just be
fore the tire. On this they had 2,2O'
insurance, so that their loss is a very se
we're blow to the firm j, B Driver, tn,
main owner III lhe firm, is III present il
Chicago, whore he has been since las
August on account of his wfe's health
che having found ii necessary to remove
from this climate. Mr.. Dowty, the man
hS5I hld DuhiIlosS pdi VI HI' iJilVci
telegraphed him the news of the fire yes
terday, but has not yet received reply
/, However, he thinks that tn
firm will soon reopen for business, III
~ believes that more will be saved from
the wreck than at first sight would seen
likely, as there was large stock OF val
liable drugs and goods in the basemen
that was not burned by the fire. Tn
@ business has been an exceedingly goo(
# one for the last year and he does no
# think Mr.. Bradley will feel like givin
it up, although his loss is undoubtedl
ny very heavy.
# j. II, Fox, who owned the fruit. con
fectionery, and cigar business next dool
is not so unfortunate, although his los
AZ is also considerable. He was carryin
$500 insurance. On Jan. he cancelle
Sl.5O0 policy at the Gibson-K -Kenned
agency which he probably now regrets
He estimates his loss at about $4,000, O
$500 net.
Nate Wertheim was also considerabl