Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-07-27
COTTAGES BURNED.
Additional Details Of the Fire Which
Destroyed Houses in Little
Russia Yesterday.
Loss Of 5000 in Currency, Stolen from
One House in the Rush to Save
Property.
John Whites Loss is $1,000, Which
Will be Fully Covered by In
surance.

Will be Fully Covered by In
surance.
There was a hot time in the Russian
settlement across the track yesterday
afternoon and for a half hour or so it
looked as though a disastrous confla-
grafton might sweep the southeastern
corner of the city. The fire started
at the foot of the hill in pile of ties
between the residence of Frank Fetch
and a Russian named Ehlich. Two
little boys were playing with matches
and started the flames. One OF the
Russian women, who had taken her
household goods from her house, and
was momentarily expecting it to catch
fire, with tears in her eyes and indig-
nation beyond expression in her voice
and manner, pointed out one of the
little shavers who had started the fire.
He was diminutive kid, not more
than four or five years of age, and he
looked as shame-faced as possible for
| one of his size.
After the fire started, the women
| in the settlement endeayored to check
the flames themselves before turning
| in a, city alarm. But there was a
strong, wind blowing up from the
south. The neighb borhood was dry as
tinder and there are innumerable piles
Of hay, manure, and other combust-
ibles to carry the flames along. Be-
fore the department was summoned
half dozen shanties were afiame and
the fire had spread to John Whites
barn at. the top OF the mill. The men
folks of the Russian settlement were
for the most part away, being out of
the city in haying camps. The women
devoted themselves to saving their
household furniture and belongings
and managed to get about all of it out
| of the houses before they were de-
stroyed. The roadway across the
street from the settlement was lined
with furniture, bedding, food supplies
and other articles taken from the
houses. The women of the neighbor-
| hood worked like tigers to save their
property, their efforts being inter-
mingled with tears and lamentations.
To see their homes destroyed by the
flames was nothing less than a calam-
| ity. One woman, Mrs. Edlich, had
some 5000 in bills in q pocketbook in
the house when the fire started. and
she found the pocketbook after the
| fire had gotten under headway, but the
bills had been removed She was
nearly frantic over the loss of what
was to her a fortune. Another woman,
an occupant of the same house, was
on sick bed when the fire started and
she collapsed afterWard, and was taken
to the hospital. "a z4 K. -5
AT one time, wnen the fire had
spread to the White barn and the
smoke and sparks were driven north i
ward by the high wind, it looked as
though the flames might spread to the
better residence part of the district.
The flremen fought nobly, but they
had 1900 feet of hose laid from the
nearest hydrant, which was at the
Robidou corner. After fighting back
the flames on the hill, the hose was
taken down and several of the cottages
below the hill were saved. The flames
from the upper barn spread while they
were engaged below, and several of |
the frame houses north and east began
to show the effects Of the intense heat
and threatened TO burst into flames.
The line OF hose had to be brought
back and check this danger. In thel
meantime two or three more Of the
lower cottages caught fire and burned.
Had an alarm been turned At in
promptly the flames could have been
confined to a limited area. But the
flames had great headway when the
department was summoned and there
were q dozen fires TO fight when they
got there. They did excellent work
IN confining the flames to the district.
Sparks from the fire started little
fires north Of the fire area, Back Of
the mill q slight blaze was started but
was extinguished BY Manager Newton
and some men working about, Other
danger was similarly averted.
In the excitement Deputy Warden
Kaufman OF the pen, who was look
Ing on, found little baby belonging
TO one of the Russian families, Tying
n q straw pile directly ii the line of