The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-03-26
HOUSE BURNED IN BUTTE
TWENTY MEN ARE MISSING.
Employees of the Anaconda Company
Fire believed 10 Have Started I'm
the Engine ROom-Hails Filled
with Smoke-Iniured Taken To
the Hospitals.

a boarding and lodging house Tor the men
in the employ of the Anaconda company,
was entirely destroyed by fire early this
morning. The building is on East Broad
way, and when the fire broke out, shortly
after 3 o'clock, there we're 400 men in it.
OF these, many are now in the hospital,
and others who escaped, almost without
clothes, are scattered all over town.
Several men who escaped express the
belief that fully 20 bodies are in the ruins,
as many men who were in the building at
the time of the fire were intoxicated and
were rushing wildly and aimlcssly
through the corridors. The fire is be-
lieved TO have started in the engine room,
and many occupants of the building were
ava ened by the smell of smoke and es
capped before the alarm had been given.
j. j. Haggerty, proprietor Of the Hale
house, says all the inmates escaped, and
Fire Chief Flannery also expresses that
belief.
Until the safe now buried in the cellar.
under tons of debris, is removed, and the
books examined and roll called, it will not
be known how many persisted. Estimates
of the dead, which now run up to %, may
be cut down as the men report for duty
on to the police 1t is known that 60 did
not show up at the mines this morning,
but many of these doubtless are with
friends recovering from their fright.
The fire started in the basement and
was soon beyond control The halls were
filled with smoke and it was impossible
for many to have escaped that way. The
are escapes were mostly in the rear of the
building, and these were used by the men
who could reach them. Those in front,
however, crowded to the windows. 9th
ers jumped and We're more or less injured.
As fast a. men reached the scene the
injured were taken to the hospitals or to
the homes of friends Others not injured
rushed at once for shelter. The air was
/ fore complete rosser of the injured can
be had. Among the most seriously hurt
are:
Matt Doyle, injured by jumping died
at 10 o'clock this morning in the Sister
hospital.
Frank Rhoad.-ss -arso injured by jump
ing, is dying.
John r. Carter, burned about head AND
neck, not seriously injured
Mike Judd. right arm broken at The
wrist. He jumped from the third story o
the hotel.
John Dugan was taken to the Sisters
hospital in an unconscious condition anc
is probably suffering from conclusion o
the brain; his head is crushed and he i
otherwise hurt about the body. He jump
ed from the third story.
Ned Gallagher had his back spraine'
jumping from the second oflor
Tim Ryan had his leg broken. He fel
from fire escape at the second floor.
Hugh Boyle left leg broken.
e Patrick Gilligan, badly burned abou
the body and hands.
The loss on the hotel will amount t
$50, 600 Nothing is left standing but
corner of one wall. The Individual lOsse
of the men will amount to eonSidelak e.
Later Reports.
f Butte. Mont, March PIT is now a.
a ceitained that there were 250 men an
4 women in the Hale house when it wa
e burned Yesterday. OF these it Is BELIEF
l. ed about 200 escaped without injury.
o The fire started in the bakery sout
Il Of the center of the building and had
d good start before it was discovered. II
Is blaze was first discovered by Billy Whit
!, Jake Yuch and Jack Dooley, who wei
L awake at the time, and, smelling smok
i went down stairs to make an investig
d ton Two of the men Immediately IL
y tached a small hose to hydrnt al
d began to throw water upon the fir
y After a few minutes work, however, Il
10 men realized that the task was hop
II less one, and they retreated to give Il
t. alarm. They summoned the WATCHING
N and rushed to the upper portion of Il
Of building, shouting that the house was {
fire.
5 by this time the fire had brok'
) through the nrst ofIor and smoke fill
d. the Railways. Dooley and his coirPa
ut ions realized that ther was no time
I'd lose. and they began kicking in the doc
e. of the rooms. The men thoughtful
n awakened the women help first.
I'd Ily this time the alarm had been turn
to in and the department responded prom
ly.
The casualties were as follows:
The dead:
IN Matt Doyle, aged Is, miner at t
al Mountain Con, jumped from the thi
lg story window. turned. over in the air a
ed struck on his head.
he Frank Rohdey. aged 40, lately fro
he Portland Orr Jumped from the thi