Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-21
MlSS0 / A Jews
Branch Office Inter Mountain Publish
ing Co.. 1876 Higgins avenue.
Missoula, g 20.

Sv'
Afire broke out in the rear of the Ham
ilton hotel bar. at Hamilton, about W
o'clock yesterday morning and in an
hours time half the tow was aid in
ashes The fire was started by the over
turning of a lamp by two n men
IN n of the card rooms INC resulted in
the destruction of ten buildings, includ-
ing The Hamilton hotel and five build
lngs west of thai It then jumped across
the street and burned two two-story
buildings there with the livery stable
and blacksmith shop. The loss is esti-
mated at 5 1000, and it is said very little
of the amount is covered by insurance,
III. l.. Page, proprietor of the hotel, being
the heaviest loser. A 1umberman by the
name of Barney Keenan,, who was Sleep
Ing in a room on the ground floor, was
burned to death and the body recovered
yesterday forenoon. A mar who was in
the room with him, whose name is Mar
tin, was so badly burned hat he is not
expected to recover. He was dragged
out of the building. by a man whose name
could not be learned, who was fighting
the fire and assisting in awakening peo-
pie who were sleeping in the hotel. He
went into the room, which was full of
smoke, and seeing a mar on the floor
grabbed his hand to pull him out, but
NE was so badly burned then that the
flesh pulled off in his hand. Taking a
hold of the mans clothes he managed
Z SSL I'LL uuL pul was 81
from the smoke that he could not go back
to make further investigation and kee-
nan was burned to death. Mr.. J. j. Bur-
nett, contractor and builder, was Sleep
ing in the hotel when the fire broke out
and was awakened by the whistling of
an N. p. engine which stood on the track
near the hotel. He looked out in the hall
! an dsaW some commotion and smelled
| smoke. but he realized that he had plen-
ty Of time to dress himself and pack his
grip, which NE did, taking everything
but his spectacles. When Mr.. Burnett
reached the hall again the greatest ex-
| element prevailed and men and women
were running through the halls with
their clothes in their arms. glad to es-
| cape with their lives. He then turned
! his attention to getting people out who
were yet wv Of the danger at hand
or. We're too excited to find their way out.
| Every room was coupled and several
doors were broken open in order to
arouse some of the sound sleepers. One
man who was awake from the start was
unable to unlock his door and he twisted
on the key and worked at the lock until
( his fingers We're. terribly cut n bruised.
! Several times there were loud raps on his
door, but he couldn't make himself nearu,
and was about to give up in DESPAIR. as
; The had an inside room and could see no
! possible escape. when a final turn at the
key unlocked the door very easily, and
he made his escape through the nails
! declaring that he would never sleep in an
| inside room again.
"A letter from Joseph K. Wood. United
States attorney at Cape Nome written to
Ben Hill of this city, bearing date OF
August 4th and received on the 18th con-
tains some interesting facts relating to
the business conditions and opportunities
existing there at the present time, which
would tend to have a stimulating ef1ect
- - ~o1~xy vx,h0 ho1iouo that Nome Ia
a gold mine for any man who is fortunate
enough to be there, and who are anxious
and willing to go at any time they can
rake money nough to pay for a passage
In part Mr.. Wood writes as follows:
"Nome is one of the most oVerrateo
places in the world, at the present time.
The season has been unusually dry and
as a consequence very little gold has beer
taken out, and that by corporations who
do not put the money in circulation. There
are men here Of every character n pro-
fession namable and a great majority are
out of occupation and simply doing the
best they can. I would hardly advise a
friend of mine to come here at the pres
ent time. I do not mean by that that
have no faith in this place, or that there
is no gold here. On the contrary l think
that the richest mines in the world, be-
yond a question are in close proximity to
Nome, and are yet in the infancy OF tnei
development, but in the present n
tons. the prospects for the present time,
are bad for everybody. Thousands OF
people will leave before the winter and
the exodus has already begun. There are
thousands of people who came here With
out a cent. immigration will be very
small here next year, and I believe If a
man should come here with a little money
and some energy. he would find the place
to present good opportunities
-