The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-07
.pAFFLED THE FIREMEN
A Stubborn Fire in the Central
Lodging House.
NO BLAZE COULD BE SEEN
It Started From a Detective IL in this
Kitchen and Worked Its Way
Through the Building Be-
tween the Walls.

A fire which strove with remarkable
tenacity to burn, battling the efforts OF
the fire department for nearly an hour
and which threatened at one time the
destruction of the building, occurred last
evening in the Central lodging house at
$40 East Park street. the IRE
and water damage TO the extent Of 5000
or $500 was done before the flames were
finally subdued.
h property is a two-story veneered
brick building, about 30x70 feet in di-
mension. owned by Charles Burkett of
Pipestone Springs, and conducted as a
lodging house by Mrs. NJ. {.
Between Z and s o'clock last evening
one of the dodgers detected the smell OF
smoke and reported IL to the landlady
and an investigation VAS made. but no
signs of fire could be found and no fur
ther attention was paid to the matter
for half or three-quarters or an nouf,
although everyone In the house could
plainly smell the smoke all that time.
AT length It began pouring into the
rooms and an alarm OF fire was turned
i'm from box 5S. BY the time the de-
partment reached the scene the smoke
was coming out through the sides OF
the building. but there was still no
blaze to be seen anywhere and IL was
some minutes before the seat OF the
trouble could be located.
From appearances when Chief ran
merry arrived, there was so little likeli-
hood of "a fire of any account that he
told the excited inmates, who were car
rying cut their belongings in frantic
haste, that there was no need TO re-
move anything, and sent In his men
with the hand chemicals, expecting 10
nut out what little fire there was with
them without any damage being done.
He soon discovered, however. that ne
had a more serious fire to cope with
than any one could have imagined from
the small amount of smoke. On locat-
ing the fire il was found II had started
from a defective flue I'm the kitchen, ana
all the time the dodgers had been smell
ing smoke the fire had been slowly eat
ing its way about the building, when,
beng a veneered structure, anorded
good opportunity to work it's way be-
tween the outer and inner walls with
out breaking out into the rooms, whlcn
explains why the fire was not discov-
cred earlier.
Notwithstanding that there had been
no indications IL would be needed, CnieI
Flannery had ordered a line of hose laid
into the building at the outset. and when
the gravity of the situation finally be-
/ came apparent, II tdInt III bpbu pay ~
took but a second to turn on the stream,
but by this time the flames had burned
sufficiently to get an air hole through
the roof, and in an instant the Whole
rear half of the building between floors
and walls wal in flames. as well as be-
tween the roof and ceiling. n IRE
ragged with fury for a time, and as fast
as IL was out i'm one place would make
its appearance in another until, to pre-
.-.,t ag ,,,.tah a DAMAGE as nDgglnlp. Ill
became necessary 10 lay a second line
OF hose. The extension ladder was run
up. a hole was chopped in the roof ana
a deluge of water turned on from thal
quarter which soon out the
flames between the roof and ceiling ano
the stream inside was not long IN SUP
DUNG the rest of the fire.
Seldom has a fire been seen whief
burned with such determination and
covered so large an area, yet was han
dled without the destruction or the
building and with so little damage re
sulting. There was a scene of Wild con
fusion while the fire was In progress
Fully 1000 people congregated ana
when Il looked as though the fire would
get the best of the firemen and that th'
whole building mu surely 60, roomers
and others rushed into the building and
in their frantic efforts to save the con
tents, pitched bedding, furniture, etc.
out OF the windows. dragged trunk
downstairs and otherwise conducted
themselves after the manner of a wild
ly excited crowd. till n would hav'
thought a milliOn-dolar blaze was II
progress.
After the fire was out, Chief Flanner!
surveyed the damage and stated !
would not exceed $500 all told, AM
would probably be somewhat less. tn
furniture as well as the building be
longed to MIR. Burkett, and the whol
loss will therefore fall on him. 1t coul'
not be earned last evening whether h
carried insurance or not. -Four year
ago a similar building burned on IN
same spot and the present structure wa