The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-25

aAo nt III nOt huoN WIZ tuTneu Ill the
alarm He staid as Ions as he could
in the basement and then got out. The
smoke was so thick by this time that
he fell to his knees once. When he got
out he saw the iremen. He did not
know whether the flames We're coming
put of the roof when the iremen ar
rived. He never had any especial in
structions to be careful about fire, but
always was.
Morris Ahern, who fred the steam
boilers on day shift, said he left every
thing In good condition when he went
OF duty the evening before the fire.
He had no knowledge of there being
any danger of fire from the bake shop.
He slept about 40 feet from where the
fire started n was awakened by an
unusual noise. He asked the night
Waterman the trouble and was told
there was fire in the bakery. He
jumped and ran to assist. The watch
nan turned on the water" said the
witness. but h d. thing wouldn't
squirt at ALL" The witness said that
before the Waterman left the basement
he turned on the water to I'LL the steam
boiler to prevent an explosion and then
ran to awaken h guests. The watch
man did not turn in the fire alarm but
old some one else to while he went to
arouse the inmates. The smoke was
very dense all over the house in a
very few minutes after the fire started.
j. w. White. bartender at the Hale
house. working night shift. was on
duty at the time of the fire. A number
of people were in the card rooms and
bar room when at about 3 O'Clock a
man came in n said. For Gods sake
urn in an alarm, there's a fire in the
cellar He went to the door and saw
a policeman n told him to turn in
an alarm. There was no smoke in the
barroom at the time. He then assist
ed in awakening the inmates and help
ing them out. He saw the officer turn
in the alarm but did not hear the
alarm. The fire department arrived in
excellent time. The witness considered
the night Waterman trustworthy. One
OF the firemen came into the barroom
with an extinguisher in his hand. but
he was a little excited and could not
see what the fireman did except he re-
membered the fireman went out and
left the extinguisher. He said the alarm
was well sounded all through the house
and If every one had gotten up prompt
ly there was no reason why they should
not have all gotten out. Juror Collins
asked Fireman Ahern If he was posi-
tive where the fire started and he said
it was over the ven when he saw 1t.
John Dooley, a miner, was the next
witness. He said he was just going to
bed when he smelled smoke. He put
his head out of his window. His room
was right over the oven and he saw a
blaze in a box which was later de-
scribed as a light or air well. He then
ran to the saloon and yelled fire. Several
men started for the cellar and he went
upstairs to give the alarm. When he
came down he saw a fireman, as he
supposed, come into the saloon with a
can he took to be al extinguisher. In
his judgment, he considered the means
of exit sufficient to empty the house i'm
10 minutes. There were front and real
stairs and fire escapes at the rear end
of each hall. He considered there was
ample time for all to have escaped if
they had not attempted to get put their
trunks.
Jacob Youch, a miner who occupied
a room at the Hale house, was in the
barroom about 3 o'clock when Dooley
ran in and said the house was on fire.
He Joined the others and went to the
basement and found Fireman Ahern
trying to turn a stream on the fire. but
the water pressure was so weak the
water merely trickled from the nozzle.
He did not know whether there was
any defect in the hose or nozzle. The
fire was so small at the time that il
there had been water IL could easily
have been put out. While he was there
he saw a fireman start to come down
stairs n urn back. Then a man
named O'Neil came and shouted to the
men in the cellar to get out. They
started and had much difficulty in do
ing so. The witness aid he put his
finger over the end of the nozzle of the
hose to try n increase the pressure
in order to throw the water t. the CELL
ing, but 1t stopped the water entirely.
Henry Fieser, a miner, was in the
barroom when Dooley came in and told
the bartender to turn in an alarm.
White said, you do IT. l don't know
Then White went to the door
and called to a policeman to turn in
the alarm. Witness then went to
arouse the inmates and afterwards, a
few minutes later. he went to his own
to waken his roommate and by
that time the fire had mad such head
way he had to raise the window and
jump out. His room was on the first
floor. The witness said no kicked in
every he came to and In sorre &
stances pulled the inmates out of bed.
By the time he got to his own room
he was so overcome he could not I'M
lock the door, so broke i'm the door.
His partner was then dressing and be-
ing so overcome that he did not dare
attempt the hall. he raised the window,
got some air n jumped out. The wit
ness said he thought there was ample
time for all to have gotten out.
Police officer Ed Foley testified that
he was on duty at the time of the fire.
on East Park street. He walked up to
the Hale house to see officer Lawson.
AS he n Lawson crossed a CRATE in
the walk they noticed smoke. and just
then some one yelled fire and he. ran to
the nearest box and turned in the
alarm. The department arrived very
quickly. There was no fire visible from
the outside at that time. The hook
ladder reached the scene in the second
round of the box and went to
work at once with the ladders. The
witness saw the connection made with
the hydrant, but was too busy to OBJ
serve how the pressure was. The
alarm the witness turned in rang the
proper number. "a. The witness con-
sidered that IL the inmates Of the house