The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-25

Spokane. Wash. Jan. 25.--A fire in
which the loss will run no to 100000
worth of property and at the very least
five lives were lost. took place last
night. The Great Eastern block at the
corner of Post street and Riverside
avenue, six stories in height and con-
structed of brick, caught fire about
Has p. m, and in three hours was to-
tally demolished. All Of the upper two
floors and a part of the third floor
were used for lodging purposes. and at
least $50 people were asleep in the
building when the fire started. While
most of them escaped with only their
clothes, il is thought a number per-
ished. What makes the horror greater
is that no one knows VINO is still inn
prsoned. AS the people were removed
from the burning structure. or escaped
themselves. they sought places of
safety. The last out of the upper floors
report forms lying in the halls and wo-
men shrieking in the flames
The origin of the fire Is supposed to
have been in the engine room. Mrs.
Stark Oliver. wife of DIR. Stark Oliver,
who lived on the second floor, says she
heard an explosion shortly before the
Hames appeared. The boiler OF the en-
gine may have exploded and caused
the fire TO start. There is another the
ory and that is that chemicals in the
basement stored there for the photo
graphic supply of John w. Graham &
Co. exploded.
The Great Eastern block was built
In 1890 at a cost of $250O00 and was
owned by Louis Levinsky of San Fran
cisco, who carried but $4,000 worth of
insurance. On the ground floor of the
the John w. Graham Paper company.
stationery and supplies. and Skerritt
& Donnelly, boots and shoes.
Both are total losses. Graham carried
stock worth $4,000, 20 per cent. of
which Is covered by insurance. The
firm of Skerrett az Donnelly had stock
of $4,000. of which $780, 900 was covered
by insurance. In the offices above there
were large losses on law libraries and
fixtures. besides probably still larger
loss of furniture and household goods.
The fire was singularly hot one and
the fire department was long in get
ting 1t under control. Even then the
flames rose hundreds of feet in the air
as long as two hours after ii started
All the hose in the department was
brought into use and the stores of the
city were called upon for all their stock.
Because of the network of live elec-
trio wires surrounding the building it
was with the utmost difficulty that the
ladders of the department We're elevated.
While they We're going up the people
were at the windows. flames and smoke
bursting out about them, shrieking
Crowds of people on the street below
shrieked in sympathy with them.
Mrs. FL. q. Davies of Nebraska City,
Neb., fell or jumped from a fifth story
window to the cement pavement below.
She died at the Sacred Heart hospital
two hours later.
A thrilling rescue was that of Rob-
ert Mason. his wife and their 2-year-
old son from the fifth floor on the Post
street side. From a fire escape on the
fourth floor, seven feet to one side from
their window. they were thrown a rope.
which Mason made fast to his bed
and came down hand over hand.
carrying his boy. Mrs. Mason follow
ed. AS she hung suspended far above
the ground the huge crowd watched
with breathless interest. When she
was grasped by the firemen a shout
of joy went up.