The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-09-27
BCTTE'S BIG BLAZE.
Loss Of Property Estimated at About a
Million Dollars.

.MlIllOu DOIl0TSs
BUTTE, Sept. 24.-Butte was visited
this forenoon by the worst fire in its
history. The flames swept through the
central, business portion of the city
and destroyed property to the value
of about a million dollars. The heav.
lest loser is the Symons Dry Goods
company, the entire building and its
contents. valued at about $500, 600, be.
ing a total loss. Nothing is left to
mark the spot but a s%mouldering mass
of timbers and twisted iron. Flying
embers alighted on the roof of the
Butte public library building, a four.
story structure and n of the fines,
buildings in the city. That building,
too, was reduced to ruins.
Night Watchman Frazier, for the
Symons company, discovered the fire
and Immediately turned in an alarm,
but when the firemen reached there so
dense was the smoke that they were
unable to enter any portion Of the
building and were compelled to fight
the flames from the sides of the build
ing. The fire, the origin of which at
this time is a mystery, is believed to
have had its origin in the boiler room
of the block, spreading quickly
through the elevator shaft to the va.
rious floors Of the block. When the
flames finally burst through the top Of
the elev ator shaft, it seemed but a
moment later until the flames, like a
sheet, enveloped the whole of the
structure and the walls began falling
with crashes that could be heard for
blocks away.
Famed by a stiff wind, the embers
began flying for blocks and it was
only by the hardest kind of work that
the six.story Clark building, just
across the street, was saved from de-
.straction. Every window in the front
of the building was broken and the
roomers in the upper stories we're
routed out by the police in a panic.
stricken manner. This scene was re.
peated in dozens of other blocks and
the streets were piled deep with trunks
and other luggage Of excited roomers,
driven out by the flames. On each
side of the Symons building, for a
distance Of half a block, the flames
took everything. The big Pennsyl-
vania block was saved, though badly
scorched. Numerous one.story struc.
lures in the rear of the burned blocks
were burned.
By IL o'clock every piece of fire APP
paratus in Silver Bow county was at
the scene of the fire. The departments
from the Rarus, Cora. Parrot, Origi-
nal, Gagnon, Anaconda and other
mines responded with ~alacrity and
rendered great service. The fire bat.
talions from the Centennial Brewery,
from Walkerville, from Williams.
burg, the Butte Reduction Works and
other places, answered the general
alarm and lent valuable assistance to
the regulars.
A. H. Wethey, general manager OF
Senator w. A. Clark's Butte proper
ties, volunteered the use of the fire
crew from the Clark mines and the
Butte Reduction Works as soon as he
learned Of the extent Of the fire. Mr..
Wethey also called up the waterworks
and offered to start the pumping plan,
at the Butte Reduction Works II it was
found necessary.
About noon TELEPHONE messages be.
gan to arrive from Anaconda. Helena,
Dillon, Missoula and other places, Of
feriug the services of the fire depart
ments of the various cities. Anaconda
was q of the first to volunteer an(
her offer was accepted. At 1928 three
hose wagons and a steamer, with full
crews, accompanied by Mayor Nc
kenzie and other citizens, were PLACED
on board q special train for this city
Exactly B minutes We're consumed
IN making the 2S.mile run to this city
Quickly the apparatus was removed
from the cars and within three minute
after the train pulled into the depo
Acting Chief Harper and his men wer
on the scene and had several stream
playing on the big blaze. The Smelte
City tiremen went to work with a viz
and spirit that encouraged their tire
brothers who had been battling wit
the flames since early morning. Tn
!. big steamer began pumping, and wit
| its assistance water was directed int
the interior Of the blaze with good et
feet.
Helena and Missoula department,
were also asked to hold themselves
readiness, but were later notified b
e Mayor MacGinniss that the Butte fire
; men had the situation we'll under co..
troll.