The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-08-07

At $50 o'clock on Sunday evening an
alarm of fire startled the stiffness of
what had been an exceedingly quiet Sun
day. People were soon upon the street,
and to the query. Where is the fire?"
the reply came, ut is the elevator and
mills of G. A. Peplow Il Co." Then the
crowd commenced rush toward the
scene of confagration. Upon arriving
at the spot it was found that the cupolas
of both elevator and mill were in flames,
as well as the chute connecting the two
and to them the tiremen di
rected their first endeavors to get the
flames under control.
When the fire boys first reached the
scene there seemed to be no real head to
direct matters, and some time was lost
before the men got down to work under
the chiefs orders. Their first efforts be-
ing directed to the mill, which was burn
ing the least, were soon crowned with
success; but by the time the burning
mill had been gotten under control, a
mass of flames burst through the iron
of the elevator tower, and
then it was that heroic and prompt &C
tion was needed to prevent the flames
from again coming in contact with the
mill portion of the plant. Fortunately,
the chute had burned through sufficient
ly to permit stream of water being
thrown upon the fire, and another we'll
directed stream was kept constantly at
tacking the flames at the connecting
base of the tower where it joined the
roof, until the wood work, charred and
incapable of sustaining the heavy weight
of corrugated iron with which the tower
was sheathed, gave way and fell to the
ground, leaving an aperture through
which the three streams could with good
effect be used.
While the men we're engaged at the
top of the building some burning brands
fell to the story beneath, and in few
minutes flames began issuing from the
lower story, and it was necessary to get
stream at work at this new point; ac-
cordingly the door was broken open, and
after few we'll directed efforts the fire
was quenched for time in that portion
of the building. 1t was at this time
that hope of saving any portion OF the
plant seemed gone, and that any part OF
the two massive structures remains
standing is due to the GOODNESS of the
firemen and the alacrity with which they
obeyed orders.
Great credit is due to the members of
the Kalispell fire department in fighting
the fire and their success in saving the
mill from any great amount of damage,
and in putting out the fire in the eleva-
tor in the face of the fact that at one
time the latter building seemed one
seething mass of flames, apparently be-
yond the control of human power to
subdue. 1t was the best fought fire the
writer has ever seen, when the fact is
taken into consideration that the boys
were handicapped from want of suffi-
cient length of hose, the heiglth of the
fire when first attacked and the steep
roofs up which they had to climb in or
der to gain vantage point.
just how the fire originated is not
fully known, but it presumably started
from spontaneous combustion, as is the
case in almost every elevator fire. When
first noticed smoke was seen issuing from
tire very top of the elevator, and before
response to the alarm could be had the
fire had communicated to the chute and
cupola of the Touring mill portion of the
structure, and when the fire department
reached the scene it seemed, even then,
to casual observer, that both buildings
were doomed to destruction. When the
hose was first brought into play the head
of water pressure did not seem of suffi-
cient power to reach the second story,
but in short time the pressure became
more powerful and then the streams did
effective work.
Men and boys took hold in good earn
est to save -four. sacks, machinery, etc.
from the mill, and, under the personal
supervision of Mr.. Peplow, much valua-
BILE stuff was released from the building
with little or no damage. Everybody
seemed anxious to do all in their power
to lessen the loss to the company, and
the spirit in which they worked showed
how the public appreciated the efforts
of Mr.. Peplow and his conferes in estab-
fishing SO beneficial a plant in the city.
The mill and elevator under their pres