Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-08-11
WORK OF A YEAR.
What Has Been Done Since the Fire
Which Destroyed Business Cen
ter a Year Ago.
Handsome and Substantial Buildings
that Have Replaced the Burned
Structures.

the business center of Bismarck a year
ago Tuesday night, about two hours
was reQuired-to send up hundreds Of
thousands of dollars worth of prop
erty in smoke. At a little before 8
o'clock smoke was discovered issuing
from the old n. p. freight warehouse,
Which stood just west of the present
palatial passenger depot of the road
it's the most palatial one we've got,
anyway, but there's a better one prom
ised-and in 4 few moments the entire
structure-old and intiammable-was
a mass of flames. Firemen crowded
into the alley-sought to stem the
tide of the f1ames-wllich as a meta
pllOr is a little lame, but it's express
ive-but it was of no avail. The mad
flames leaped into the air-as Steve
Crane would say-devouring every
thing before them in the red jaws Of
their fiery wings, skinned from house
to house, the hot breath of their skip
ping feet licking up property behind
them. and finally, when the red tongue
Of the fire tiend had licked up the
business center Of the city. it hauled
off to contemplate the destruction it
had Wrought-and rest itself.
1t was a hot night-a great deal
warmer than last Sunday night in
Mandan. The buildings that stood
along the south side of Main-the old
Tribune establishment, Hare's and adj
joining Structures-went up. or down
As you choose. and the flames took
a squirt across the street, and began
to take in the town. The Central
block, and the old First National be-
gan to SiZzle and in Il few minutes
there We're fifteen OF twenty blocks
in flames. and then fires were break
ing out like small poX in Il detention
camp. There was Il popping and
cracking Of ammunition in hardware
stores-rhe cracking of glass, an occa-
siOlfal big gun report when Il barrel
OF int1ammable oil went into the air,
the crash Of falling walls. and Il gen
eral Fourth of July tendency in the
atmosphere. And it was so warm
that the epidermis Of the old Sheridan
House began to peel off, and the ven
cradle hotel blushed like a school girl.
1t was a progressive fire and it kept
on mOving-up past the pOstoffice and
the Merchants block and into the next
block north, and there it stopped and
people began to poke in the ashes and
Look for the remains of what appeared
to be n lost greatness.
1t was a rather mOurnful sight that
greeted the pedestrian who walked
down the middle of main street mt
midnight-with long lines Of smould-
ering embers on either side-when a
few hours before had been business
places, banks, offices, and the various
establishments that go to make up a
metropolis-and to know that the best
town in the United States was so
badly singed that the smell Of smoke
was heard around the world. 1t
looked that night as though the solar
picks blow had come.
But in the morning it didn't look
nearly as bad-rubbish began to be
cleared away, workmen swarmed
about the ruins, walls We're pulled
down and brick cleared, losses were
adjusted and paid, and rebuilding be-
gan-just as good as before and a good
deal better.
Today there is a little left of the
burned district, but the greater part
Of it is built up to substantial brick
Notwithstanding a neat and uniform
business district. Starting with the
First National corner-there's the
bank building-two story pressed
brick-hardwood finish, mahogany
bank fixtures, tiled floors and as hand
some store rooms as are to be found
anywhere. Then there is the Ep-
pinger blocS-tifty foot front and a
handsome building, Il credit to any
town. On the old Central block site
are the Griffin and Gussner buildings
of brick and well appointed. The
Patterson building west is in the
course Of erection. and will be a hand
some two story addition to the street.
On the corner is the Baker building
which sets off the corner nicely and
presents a handsome front to the
street. The Webb block on the south
side is another two story brick and
hundred foot frOnt-which takes the
place of a number of one story frame
dingies that went up in the fire. Down
Fourth is Michelson's first class gro
Gerry and meat %shOp-and neXt to Il a
the new two story brick being erected
by Col. Little and nearly completed.
On the old Postoffice block site-south
half-H. C. Rhud has Il two story
brick. Charles Kupitz palace gro
Gerry is on the same old corner-twO
story brick-and the handsomest re-
tail grocery in the state. And on the
corner where the Mellon block stood
is the Tribune-a quarter Of a GEN.
fury old and more-and getting older
every day-the best daily paper and
printing establishment in-Bismarck
anyway and a good many more towns.
Then there's a new brick freight
warehouse across the track-to say
nothing Of a depot in sight-work be-
gun on the new military post-grading
begun for 4 new railroad-a Irvine
plant started-woolen mill and Indian
school in prospect-to say nothing Of
the close shaye-in the matter Of the
Northern Pacific shops.
All these in one year from the fire
and a fine crop all through the country
Tom Lowry here in his private
car to show that the 500 grade is no
joke. Who's afraid-for Bismarck?
~ lgI