The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-01
ONE OF FINEST BUILDINGS IN
STATE IN ASHES.
CLUB WILL BUILD AGAIN
Origin Of Fire Unknown But 1eIjev.
ed to Have Been Work Of
i%ncendiary.


Montana club building, the most mag
nificent building this side of Chicago
devoted to club purposes, is this morn
ing virtually a mass of ruins, due tc
a fire that started in the building las
night about II o'clock.
The fire started on the seventh
story and burned down through the
building, the efforts OF the firemer
being apparently of no avail in stop
ping it. There was a high wind when
the fire first started, and owing to the
height Of the building the efforts Of
the department to get water on IL
in the beginning were unsuccessful
The fire burned fercely for three
hours, and when it was finally subdued
about all that was left were the four
walls.
Toy, the Chinese cook, was the first
to discover the fire. He was in his
department on the top floor, and he
ran down to the second floor. AS it
happened there we're only a few mem
bers in the building, and they went
UP stair Immediately, and as soon
as they located the fire they started
the stand pipes to work. But they
could do nothing, az they could not
reach the fire. Soon the smoke be.
came SO thick and the fire so hot that
they had to retreat, but they did not
leave until the department had ar
rived and the glass began to crack
about them.
Breaks Through the Roof.
In Is minutes from the time the fire
started it had broken through the roof
and the windows on the northwest
corner. In an almost incredibly short
time it was sweeping out of a front
window, and soon there was a o a
ing draft. Meantime the firemen
were trying to reach the flames with
water. A line of hose was run in the
rear, and two firemen started to take
it up the fire escape. They got up to
the sixth story, and, breaking out a
window, were prepared to fight the
fire from below. The water was turn
ed on, and it had no been going to
exceed a minute when the hose burst.
That was the last attempt to fight
the fire at that height in the rear.
Meanwhile a line of hose was run
in front of the building, and it was
carried inside, but the fire was so
hot and the smoke so dense that the
attempt was abandoned.
All this time the fire had been burn
ing with renewed force and eating
it's way down, story by story. When
the flames reached the third floor the
stone gormen on the east side of the
building toppled and fell. Shortly at
ter, that on the south side went. From
that time on the only question was
how long the fire would last, and
whether it would communicate to 9TH
er buildings. 1t was 3 o'clock before
it was finally out, and then there was
nothing left to burn.
Saved the Papers and Books.
There were two offices on the
ground floor of the building. One,
on the corner, was occupied by Sher.
wood Wheaton, agent for the Mutual
Life Insurance company. The other
Office was occupied by the Helena
Water Works company. The more
important and valuable books and pa,
pers in these two offices were remov-
ed.
Except for the lower portion of the
walls, the loss is complete. The build
ing and furniture represent a value OF
$3.50, OO0, while the insurance is $685.
900. In addition to the loss suffered
by the club and the occupants of the
offices, members of the club who
in the building suffered con-
siderably, the aggregate being several
thousand dollars. Some carried in
surance, but in no case does it cover
the loss.
Origin Is a Mystery.
How the fire started is a mystery.
Toy, the Chinaman, was made aware
Of it first by smelling smoke, and
when he looked in the direction OF
he ice box he saw the blaze. There
vas nothing to aus a fire where it
and it's origin is as great a
MYSTERY as were the two last Friday
light. 1t scarcely seems credible that
stranger bent on mischief could
ave gotten up in the seventh story,