Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-02-10

at varying points of the compass and
the armament is one vast prismatic
ocean of golden and silver hued
sparks. A great multitude of people
line the streets awe-struck by the pam
Drama which is being enacted before
their eyes.
At l0:40 p. m, the roof Of the build
ing occupied by the Associated Press
took fire and the employees were COM
PEELED TO vacate, though they had
time To take away with them the tel
egraph instruments, typewriters and
other valuable equipment. They found
refuge in branch Office of the West
ern Union company on Gay street.
The prospect is that this office will
have To be vacated In a few minutes,
as the flames are breaking west and
east and volumes of sparks and blaZ-
ing cinders and sRlinters are flying
in every direction.
At this hour the fire is absolutely
beyond control and all occupants Of
the buildings In the center of the city
are rapidly moving their valuables.
The city hospital corner of Calvert
other hospitals, as rapidly as possi-
bic. "a patients are in this institution.
Seventeen Injured were brought to
this hospital. most of them firemen.
| They were suffering from burns.
scalds and decorations. Nearly every
physician of the city is in the fire
district. So far as known az this hour
no one has been killed.
Detachments of the Fourth and Fif-
IN regiments have been called out and
are patrolllng the streets in the yicin-
ity OF the fire. guarding property, and
keeping order.
Fortunately. thus far, the confagra-
tion has not reached the residence
portion of the city, hut fires are break
ing out in East Baltimore and the in
| dications are that the residence
streets are doomed TO be invaded
On Baltimore street, the block be-
tween Liberty and Sharp was soon
ablaze. then came the next block east
on the south side TO Charles street
broke out into flames. The Consoli-
dated Gas Co.'s building and Oehms
Acme hall. are burning fiercely.
Meanwhile there were stores north
of Baltimore street being similarly
consumed Mullins hotel caught and
other buildings near il. West of Lib
erty street. on the south side OF Bal
timore. the block was doomed. and
the big Baltimore bargain house also
caught. Down in Hopkins Place.
where the conflagration started,
Hurst's building and other wholesale
houses on both sides of the streets
crumbled and fell. The dry goods
houses of Daniel Miller & Sons and
II. NJ. Sutton & Co.'S were soon aflame
and along German, east and west
from the Hurst building there were
a dozen buildings burning and scores
more threatened. The spectacle of
ruin and destruction from any point
in the doomed blocks, was something
appalling.
At ] 80 O'Clock Mullins hotel, a
seven-story structure at Liberty and
Baltimore streets. was in flames from
garret to cellar, and its great heighth
and narrowness. acted as sort of fiue
which converted the doomed building
into a huge and dreadful torch. All
the guests had been ordered out of
the building shortly after fire broke
out in John +. Hurst's place. There
was no panic or confusion, and none
was injuroh.
Though every DIT of fire fighting ap.
paratus In the city was called into
requisition as the flames continued 10
spread the firemen realized that they
had a task before them which was too
great for them to combat. kilograms
for the fire engines were sent to Wash.
ington and Philadelphia and about l
O'Clock six engines arrived from
Washington and four from Philadel-
phia, and joined In the battle with the
f, flames.
| Engines from stations in Baltimore
Howard, Anne Arundel and Hartford
counties also arrived as soon as DOS.
sible, some OF the apparatus travelling
a distance of 80 miles or more. Water
plugs In every section, within a rad
ius OF half mile from the fire were in
use, and il is roughly estimated that
there were $50 hose all playing at one
time upon different parts OF the con.
Migration. Owing to great congestion
Of fire apparatus crowds of people and
general confusion. many of the en-.
gines from out of town were unable
to find a place where they could be
Of any service.
With loud roars wall after wall top.
Piled into the streets and the firemen
ran for their lives.
The fire was beyond their control
and the flames ran from one building
10 another in spite of the fact that
hremen had done their best to check
the progress of the flames by soaking
the structures with water.
Redhot cinders ignited the roof of
Front street theater and for a time
II looked as though that structure
would be burned down. The building
is at least half mile from the main
coniagration. and the fact that the
roof caught from falling cinders
shows to what distance the fiery rain
fell. The blaze, which was on the
southwest corner. was extinguished
by the fremen, assisted by citizens.
At o'clock tremendous explosion
of about $50 barrels of whisky stored
in the upper floors of "a Hoover
street hurled tons of burning matter
across the street onto the roofs OF
buildings opposite which the firemen
were drenching with water In vain