The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-30

S1ayoT ndITinktOn. II you n8u men
and hose enough. and IL the pressure
was good. n that you answered yes
to each query?"
The witness replied yes.
And you say o had no water on
at the timer"
Il had the water on at the time of
that conversation" replied the witness.
The mayor then asked the tines II
he did not know IL was a fact that po-
licemen are sworn firemen in time of
fire. The witness replied that he did
not.
The mayor then asked II the fremen
had experience in handling the extern
sion ladder, and the witness replied
that the men had practiced with the
ladder. Asked why he left a man at
the plug when the water was not on
and a man in charge of each team, the
chief said IL was their place and they
might be wanted at any time.
Alderman Melcher askedif the witness
knew where the bakery was. and he re-
piled no, rs it not he place Of your
self and men to be familiar with all
buildings?" was asked. 1T is, and I
was familiar with the Hale house plan.
but might nave seen the bakery with
out knowing what it was" replied the
witness.
Then II you were told the fire was
In the bakery o would not ave
htloNu WHcIt 10 kO. NOuiu ndNt
known enough to go to the basement
said the chief. Asked IL he knew
whether rubbish was allowed to ac-
cumulate around the bakery. the wit
ness said he did not think so. as he
was through the house a month before
the fire. Chief Flannery stated that
a fue which he thought was from the
oven, ran up through the air shaft and
might have caused the fire. 1t was ex-
planned that the regular flues would
not work good and this fiue of sheet
iron had been substituted.
Chief Flannery was then asked "a
state wherein the department was
weak. and he said it was too small.
Asked by Alderman Melcher IL II would
not have been better IL he mad put vol
unteers to work. he thought green
men woul not have been Of much
avail, but IL he had more experienced
men who would obey orders he could
have put on the water and saved the
men as well. Chief Flannery said he
had never heard of a hotel fire where
there were so many people in the
building where so few were lost. and
he never saw fremen work better than
his did that night.
Assistant Chief Peter Sanger testified
that the department got out in excel
lent time and ven direct to the fire.
He went direct to the door leading to
tAit tlid W ~ ttt biS n
The basement was all afire and he
closed the loo to keep the smoke from
coming up. He then went right up
stairs and devoted his efforts to calm
ing the inmates, telling them to take
IL cool and follow him n he would
pilot them out. At that tim the fire
was going up the air shaft as high as
the third story. After he came out of
the building he was ordered to take
the chemical and respond to the sec
ond alarm turned in. He found II was
a false alarm and returned as soon
as possible. In his judgment, the fire.
from the progress Ii had made when
he reached it. must nave been burning
10 int before the alarm was turned
in. On going to the second alarm he
went to box 81, not having counted the
box and having been told by the mayor
the number of the box was "a, whereas
the o was 60. He went out Park
street to box "a. found it had not been
broken. and returned.
Asked II he thought the fire could
ave been successfully fought had the
department been larger. Mr.. Sanger said
he had his doubts if any department
could hav saved the building, although
the department was undoubtedly too
small. Asked IL turning water on a
fire while persons were still n the
building decreased their chances of es-
cape, Mr.. Sanger said he believed it
did. as il made steam N generated
gases. Asked il IL was the custom in
fighting fires in large cities for the fiie-
men to devote their attention first to
saving the inmates. he said 1t was.
Captain j. r. Dawson of the police
department said he was at Main and
Broadway when the alarm came in
and ran as fast as possible to the Hale
house. He met the fire chief IN his
arrival and himself suggested II would
be bad to turn on water till the men
were out. as IL would form gas, and the
chief replied that he was aware of the
fact and intended waiting till the men
were out. Captain Dawson said he had
seen some big fires and he considered
that Chief Flannery used excellent judg-
ment on this occasion. He did not
think Ii at all probable the fire could
ave been put out, even IL there had
not been any men in the building. the
fire had made such Roadway and the
building had so many draughts. He
offered the opinion that il the firemen
had have left the ladders the men would
all have jumped. as neither the police
nor the miners could have worked the
ladders. He said the men were as ex-
cited on the ground as in the building.
and re saw two men pull down a lad
der which had been raised to a window.
Mayor Harrington catechised Captain
Dawson concerning the work of the
police at the fire and asked how many
of the policemen took of their fur
coats. He said he did not know, but
knew they all did good work.
IF Tom Walsh could have lone
much more with his fur coat off than
he did with it on" said Captain Daw-
son. "he would have been a hell OF a
good worker"
We'll, it's facts we want to get at"
said the mayor i'm a %reproving tone.
well. the police did good work" said
Captain Dawson
Mayor Harrington said he awoke at
the FIRST alarm. From his place he could
see the Hale house plainly. He got up
and looked out and saw the depart
ment on the ground. He could see no
fire at that time, but could hear loud
voices, and from the number of the box
concluded IL was the Hale house. He
dressed and went down. As he got TO
the point where box "a was located he
heard the second alarm n supposed
49, Gr.,,a- haA aaantt,dn6 che fire xra