Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-01-20
LEWISTOWN
HOTEL BURNED
Worst Fire In the History Of the City
Destroys Almost An Entire
Block.
With City Water Works Out Of Com
mission the Old Hand Pump 10
Again Called Into Use.

Again Called Into Use.
The worst fire In the history OF Lew.
istown occurred Saturday night when
the block. upon which was located
the Lewistown hotel, was almost en-
tirely wiped out, the New York store
building being the only one in the
block to escape destruction.
The flre was discovered by the oc-
cupants shortly before IL o'clock. A
number Of men were sitting in the
Office when Al. Klein and Herman
Feuchs decided to retire. As they ep.
ened the door to the stairway they
discovered the hall was full ofsmoke.
Klein hurriedly went upstairs. There
was no sign of fire up there, but as
he came back down. the steps he dis
covered that the wall Of the kitchen
was warm. He then opened the door
to the dining room and saw the Are
in the china and linen closet, which
is near the door leading into the kitch-
en-. Smoke was coming out of the
closet in great volumns and a. soon
as Klein opened the door the names
burst out and scorched him somewhat
before he could get out Of reach. He
ran back for q pail Of water while
others grabbed water vessels Of var
ious sorts and tried to extinguish the
blase. It had made too great head
way for them, however, and Klein de-
cided that the only thing to do was to
awaken the people In the house and
do It at once.
Running up the steps he opened all
OF the unlocked doors and kicked In
those which were locked. Others join
ed him In the work and It was but
q few moments before all Of the peo-
pie were aware OF the danger. BY
this time the fire had made good head
way and the entire upper story was
filed with smoke. None Of the guests
had time to get together any Of their
things. several Of them barely escap-
ing suffocation in the smoke. H. 3.
Brown, who was on shift at the time,
accompanied by Arthur Wright, who
had come from the Eagle Cafe with
his brother. Proprietor g. q. Wright,
went to the room Of Mr.. and Mrs. Ar
thur Gates. They had awakened but
Mr.. Gates was overcome by. the smoke
and had not the boys arrived he
would probably have suffocated or
burned to death. They broke out the
window and helped Gates and his wife
onto the shed back of the hotel. All
Of this time Charles Wright and 9th.
ers were getting other people out of
the building with all possible alacrity,
the utmost speed being necessary, as
the building was burning with terrible
rapidity. Everyone got out but none
Of them saved any Of their effects.
George Hall was the first one to
discover the hre from the outside.
He was coming from the skating rink
when, as he got In front of the Abel
meat market, he saw great rolls Of
smoke coming from the top Of the
hotel. He ran as fast % possible to
the bell and gave the alarm. The
boys turned out rapidly and were on
the ground with the fire apparatus
within q very short while. But here
some difficulty was experienced. The
city water works were out OF commits
sion owing to the breaking of the
city pump. The old hand pump had
not been used for several months and
1t was several minutes before the
fire boys could get It to work. Final
ly the water got started, but the no
tel and all OF the buildings below II
40 far as the New York store were
doomed. A stiffish southwestern WIND
was blowing and for some time II
looked as II that entire end Of towr
would 90. The side OF the tailor shoI
of Louie DuClos was torn away and
gave the nremen q better opportunity
to stop the progress Of the flames
Fortunately, as the fire got to the tai
lor shop. the wind changed and thu
flames were driven back the othe
way. This alone probably saved thu
New York store and several othel
buildings In that immediate vicin
ity.
With the Are in check In that en'
OF the block the hose was transferred
to the bank end Of the block. Tn,
back end OF the bank building was al
ready afre and 1t looked as II nothinl
could be done TO save the building
All Of the books OF Attorney o. W
Belden and the greater number o
the books and papers of r. Won Tobe
were thrown out Of the window int
canvas sheets, which were spread o.
the ground below. When 1t locke
that nothing could save the building
q volunteer fireman took the hose 3
the top OF the building He was 70
lowed by others and soon q grea
stream was playing on the Are fror
above. This was q most effectiv
move and succeeded In saving tn
building from burning to the groun(
The heat was intense when the ar
was 1t its hottest and II was only b
means of q well organized bucket br
gade that other property was save
from destruction. The wind broush
the sparks up Main street and fear
were entertained for the Woods III
cry stable. Much Of the plate glaa
IN the Montana Hardware. Lewiston
Commercial, Kearney's and Abel Bro
buildings were cracked, entailing
loss of several hundred dollars to III
owners. The fire ragged for ebos
Ave hours and It was s O'Clock b
fore the fremen got away to 80 hom
chief Bebb remained with 1t all nigl
to see that a spark did not catch SON
adjacent building.
Il was the hardest fight the Levi
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