The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-01-22
WORK OF
The FLAMES
Most Destructive Fire in His
tory Of Kalispell
HEAVY MONEY LOSS
An Early Morning Blaze Destroys the
ok. Restaurant and All Ad-
jacent Buildings.
HEAVY MONEY LOSS

The most disastrous fire Kalispell
has experienced in many years oc-
Cured early this morning and re-
suited in the total destruction of the
buildings occupying the corner of
Main and First streets and entailing
loss aggregating at least $4,000.
The fire strated in the millinery store
of Mrs. l.. E. Thompson, and before
the angry flames could be checked
they had completely destroyed the
building adjoining on the south,
owned by T. D. Duncan, as we'll as
the buildings ON the north and east,
as far as the alley.
AS a result of the fire the follow
ing firms and private families will
have to seek new quarters: J. w.
Brown, paint shop; Andrew Young,
tailor; J. T. Jones, photographer;
the City bakery, Frost & Duffy, real
estate; Mrs. L. E.. Thompson, MILL
merry; the o. K. restaurant, H. Moses,
fur store; William Sargent, shoe
shop; the Western Union Telegraph
office, and Mrs. Shiebie, dressmaker.
Mr.. and Mrs. N. ]. Tiedens, who occu-
pied rooms adjoining the telegraph
office were also burned out. While
the building occupied by the paint
shop and tailor shop was not de-
stroyed, it was rendered untenable by
the water.
The fire started about $50 this
morning and was discovered almost
Immediately by Officer Donohue, who
gave the alarm. The fire company
responded quickly, but the hydrants
were frozen and long delay ensued
before the water could be turned on.
In the meantime the flames had made
rapid Roadway and had spread from
the millinery store to the o. K. res
taurant, on the north, and thence
east across the narrow passage way
to the building occupied by H. Moses,
William Sargent, the Western Union,
N j. Tiedens and Mrs. Shiebie, as
W II as to the Duncan building, on
the south.
When water was finally secured
four streams were turned on the
blazing buildings, but it was sooT
seen that the efforts to save them
would be in vain and the iremer
turned their attention to saving the
building occupied by Andrew Young
and J. w. Brown. 1t was a desperate
task and one that seemed impossi
BILE, but after a hard struggle the eff
forts of the firemen were crowned
with success, and the building wa
saved.
The other buildings were com
pletely Destroyed, harly vestig
being left to tell the tale. The con
tents of the buildings were also de
stroyed, and in many instances, nota
bly, the millinery store and restau
rant, not an article of any kind be
ing removed. The buildings were @
frame construction, and burned wit
amazing rapidity, the intense hea
making it impossible to enter. TIL
buildings across Main street wer
scorched by the heat, and the man
. windows were cracked.
: The insurance on building and COZ
, tents was very light and will not b.
: gin to cover the loss, The old re-
taurant building was one of the LAM
: marks of Kalispell, and in the earl
) days of the city it was occupied b
: the Conrad National bank. c.
and w. G. Conrad were the owner
of the buildings destroyed.
| The origin of the disastrous fire
unknown, as at the time the bla2
, started there was no one in the mill
merry store, or had been during tn
} night. Mrs. Thompson, the pr
: prietress is in Spokane.