The Western news., 1904-11-02
POPULAR HALL, SCENE OF MANY
DANCES, LIES IN RUINS.
BAND INSTRUMENTS ARE DESTROYED
U rigin of Fire Not Heroic
Work of Firemen Saves Ad.
joining Buildings.

The Carpenter dance hall and bowl
ing alley was burned to the groune
early Saturday morning A dane,
was given in the hall after the
Maginnis rally Friday night and tn.
building had been vacated but shor,
time before the fire was discovered b,
the chinamen in the ad djoining restau
rant. 1t started in the rear of the
hall and had made great headway be-
fore its existence was known.
An alarm was given which brough,
nearly the whole town to the scene
The entire north half of east main
street WIS threatened, and had a fav.
orable wind arisen the whole business
portion of town might have been
wiped out. Many willing hands as.
sisted those whose property was in
danger, ransacking F. L. Burns store,
the harness and tailor shops and re-
moving all portable goods TO places
of safety.
The fire department worked like
demons. 1t was impossible to save
the hall, or to enter it and save any
of the valuable contents, and the great
fight was made to prevent the spread
of the flames. Three streams of water
were turned on the burning building.
turning to steam in the intense heat.
The hall was surrounded by numerous
small shacks which were constantly
catching FIRE and adding TO the diff
Guilty of the fight.
The FIRE boys charged up to the side
walk in front of the burning building
and poured in broadsides of water
when the intense heat was cracking
the windows across the street, 100
feet away. They climbed the adjoin-
ing buildings and played a stream con-
tinuously between the FIRE and the res
taurant. Their splendid and heroic
work is shown by the fact that frame
building 100 feet long was completely
consumed, while another frame build
ing about three feet away escaped
only slightly imbrowned.
The Carpenter hall has been the
sc enc of many dances. 1t was oriRi-
uaily the old Cone building and was
purchased about a year ago by r. c.
Carpenter, who converted it into a
dance hall and bowling alley. When
the bowling season closed in the
spring Mr.. Carpenter opened a pool
room upstairs, which for some time
has been the headquarters of the band.
All of the instruments belonging to
the Hamilton Silver Cornet band, once
famous throughout the state, were
destroyed, as was also the piano which
was used in the Carpenter orchestra,
approximating loss of $1,000. In
addition to this the millinery shop
conducted by Mrs. Carpenter was des-
troyed. Mr.. Carpenter estimates his
individual loss at $1,000. with no in
surance.
All day Saturday people viewed the
debris and continual praise for the
nre department was heard. The FIRE
boys are bunch of professionals.
Even the Celestials showed their ap-
probation and gratitude in a substan-
tial way. After the flames had been
beaten back and the victory won they
breakfasted the fire boys, bought them
box of cigars and donated $40 to the
department.
Not since the fire which destroyed
the Hamilton hotel and other build
ings in August, 1900, has there been
such a destructive fire in Hamilton,
That it did not exceed that fire in loss
is due to the splendid work Of the fire
boys.
The origin of the fire is not known
but it is believed to have started from
a cigarette carelessly thrown away.