Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-22
THE HOTEL FIRE AT BUTTE.
Two Men are Dead Already, and One Fatally
Injured.
six Others nrc Hurt, while Twenty More
are Missing-Bodies believed to
he in the Ruins.

Butte. March 2l.-There were $50 men
and women in the Hale building when
the fire broke out, OF these it is be-
lieved about 200 escaped without injury.
So far as known, two men are dead
from injuries received In jumping from
windows, another is fatally injured, six
others hurt. and twenty are missing
while u search OF the ruins may dis
close the fact that many transient lodg-
ers lost their lives also,
The fire started in the bakery house
in the center of the building and had
n good start before discovered. The
bluze was first discovered by Billy
White. Jack Yuch and Jack Doolcy,
who were awake at the time, and
smelling smoke. went down stairs To
make an Investigation. Two OF the
men Immediately attached small hose
to hydrant and began to throw water
upon the fire. After "A few minutes
work, however, the men realized thnt
the task was II hopeless one and they
retire ated To give the alarm. They sum-
moned the Waterman and rushed to
the upper portion of the building shout
ing that the house was on FIRE. BY
this time the fire had broken through
the first floor and smoke filed the hall
ways.
lbublty anu MS Nplltliiibho lfhiSfb
that there was no time to lose and
they began kicking In the doors of the
rooms. The men thoughtfully awakened
| the women help first. The alarm had
been turned in and the department re-
sponded promptly.
When the hremen arrived men in
their Undertaking and others half
| dressed Were clamboring down the fire.
| escapes in the rear, others and the
servant girls with them We're at win
| dows in the front of the front of the
| building frantically calling for help.
| They were cut off from the rear of the
| building by the dense smoke. The lad
| ders were run up but not before many
| of the frightened people had jumped.
| Others, including all the female help,
| were rescued by the firemen. on the
side Of the building many had made
| ropes out of their bedclothes and
sought to escape in that way. Some
| of them succeeded. but in other cases
| the ropes broke and the men dropped
many feet to the ground.
As fast as the inmates were rescued
or jumped. those injured were placed in
vehicles and carried to the different
| hospitals. Those uninjured or only
! slightly hurt betook themselves to the
| houses of neiEhbors and friends in or
der to secure some clothing. No one
| saved anything but what she or he had
on at the time of the FIRE. The night
was bitterly cold. the thermometer
! registering below zero.
As long as there appeared chance
of people being in the building the fire.
| men devoted their attention mostly tC
saving human life. 1t was only after
there was no further chance to do this
that they began work on the fire ir
earnest. The fire had gained sucf
Roadway that two hours after 1t begaf
the walls had fallen.
II is possible some of the missinf
men may turn up yet. Early In th'
day the list of the supposed dead raj
up as high as fifty This was because
many of the men who escaped did no
report for work in the mines Gittl
by little. however, the list cecrease'
as men reported until twenty know
dodgers were unaccounted for. 1t u
possible. however, that many of tn
transient roomers who are not wei
known may be dead in the ruins. Onl!
an examination will settle that poin
and that cannot be made until the ruin
cool off.
The Hale house belonged &c the Ana
conda company. II was built in 1885 n
a cost of 10000, and with the furnitur
and belongings of the dodgers the los
will reach fully 100000.