The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-10-30

mDbhY lHlullH MI Nv DH3H w ~ HlubE ~
timbers, boxes and bales, from which
flames fbnt burst Oui from the Tprrant
building, liko beIehiDg of eanllOD, at
once broke forth,
Across WnrpoIl street ~ The opposite
buildings the flames lenped, setting
them al on fire ~ once, the force 0f
the explosion demolisbinR windows
and all wooden structures about the
houses, IN u moment Warren street
was oh0ked with a MASS NJ debris
and with the whole place a1ome,
The second explosion was followed
by half q dozen Others, scarcely less
intense and by y number Of smaller
ones,
by this time The fire apparatpses
wore arriving from every direction,
Deputy Chief Ahern came w two
minutes after the second series Of OK
pl0siOnB aud no ordered the nth alarm
sent IN, followed by n general call tor
Dmbplpneos,
The explosions and 1re together had
now assumed lho proportions ~ y
great catastr0phe and II wps th0pght
that hundreds Of liYes bad been lost,
Thropgs ~ people were rushing
about IN Tho nearby streets, many ~
thnm pnDio stricken, neoinH from The
fire They mingled IN tbe crowd that
was rushing down from Broadway ~
MOO What had happenod, From tho
burning district q column of smoke
was rising high IN the aip, mtpgling
With the hntpos that G0nld not bo CON
trolled by the hundreds of streams
TINT were boing poured npon them,
The second Gxpl0si0D Gnprjed DE-
strpction IN oyer diropNon That "
did not eAnse y wholesale loss 0f life
III due thnt lt lDast ten minutes
elapsed after the FIRST explosion apd
before the second ono,
The big explosion completely ear-
ried away tho station and q mass 0f
masonry fhAt fpll with II broke
through tbo H0pring and almost de'
m0lishod tho st4nctllre jnhf below thal
building, Immense nlnes1s NJ mas
onry, pieces 0f o0rnleos, great beams,
wlpdow castings and an lpdeaeFibRble
lppss nf debris and wroekpge ~ oyery
description, tnmblod on the stFeet in
front " Tho buildings almosf im'
lneliRloly
,rho force NJ thp explosion Ilad
thrown ArpMep loF0ss fho street. W
thpt they wore not DQNghl, bHt their
esoape from tho vnin 0f debris WAS MI
most mirapnlops, aFeNt mpsses waFe
thrown against the wlpdQws q fhe
Irving hnpk Qu Tho DGrtheNet e0Fner ~
thp street, I!hp Offices M thn Irving
hank md Mecklip Rros,, hnnkars md
brokers, wolo nNNFly YFeekpd,
Outside NJ Y tow who Wnyp injured
IN thp streets the loss of lifp hy the
dre md pxplpsiop nHst Inyn QeeRrrel
IN Mo VaFraAt building mainly, apd
ppsslhly IN No Athpr buildings, No.
Atr0yod by nFe' Vhp humber NJ peF,
s0ps In tll0 TNfrRllt hHi W9R sald
tp hA in the npiahhoghopg NJ MY
How many NJ thp H!lla Nnd other aM,
ployeA eApNped eonld naf NJ Rnfssea
hyeN t0piEhl RlthoRgh the !aFgA NNN'
hpr NJ mlHalnk persons lnAipRfea fhaf
theFe were soma, :,
W WRs HRld fbaf helf NJ, the em'
plnyes were aHt FafllnK lNnfh A
lnWQr Wept F0Nnd tllaf n hoy haa
aap saeA " 4 legghy M ,!Il ye,lAayenF NJ ,laa Aat,
Waiting lN the hHil1ing, a man,
mined ApAfani N Aaid W hHYA Aeen
tv0 men and 4, WanaR NJ .apN M fIlA
I0n nN0F NlndaWsl lHef hpfAFa flh
hnildluR flllgpAad ,ANQllAF Wllnpsss
Hnid M INV fiHF EiFls hRinR naFrled
dawn one M Vim FdRF AEa psaepas Nv n
trHAkMAn M naMEARE Mn ll
Al nam M tLf HFehnfli Hrn FfpaFffd
IplAalnlAl tlla RlFlA AFe AHppNHaa W lMVR
mon Megfdf
An0lhar witness ARid ha nav u Hnli-
bar M RlFlh ATTEMPTING M aseHRf
fr0M fte Aff iHFf befhVf fig afpl0slnn
Nla lllAl mans NJ Elleia eaaM haVA esl
aAlAad
XnathM witpess said tp INV twenly
M l2Isens RElg, NJ ta4f fiflh street, II
gHp0gtnd 't] nave hfHN kIllnl AH hlle
NNA NpiDg hlspk iLllj thG hHllllnA HgfHF
sllldl|ilnH A|tf hAd Iaft III the hnllqlnHi
EhlnaH FelteH II fAN0flAd W ilAve