Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-12-30
NORTH DAKOTA FlREMEN.

NORTH DAKOTA FIREMEN.
How the Fiery Element Is subdued
Ia Balfour. u
Balfour, McHenry county, had a
fire the other day, and in order that
the Bismarck fremen may catch on
to the latest and most approved meth.
dds OF fighting fires the story of the
confagration as told by the Baltour
Statesman is published herewith:
Balfour had a very dangerous fire
last evening, one that was almost i'm
possible to control. About z O'Clock
Jerry Kirby went out to the coal shed
to get "a nod of coal. He struck a
match to see where the coal was and
let the match fail to the floor. This
had been done hundreds of times be-
fore. This time it started a fire.
Jerry peeled of his coat and tried to
put the fire out but failed to do So.
The reason the fire could not be COM
trolled was because gasoline tank
holding fifty-ive gallons had been
filed that day and some OF it spilled
ON the floor. Finding that he was
helpless he rushed to Manning & Con
nelly's pool room and shouted that
their coal house was on fire. The
central telephone was notified and in
a moment everyone in town was
warned. People rushed In from every
direction. The hand chemical again
did superior service but the powder
tubes did the most effective work on
the gasoline, while the chemicals did
the best on the burning wood. The
fire started out for business. from the
start and burned furiously. It crept
down between the flooring boards
and under the coal. The fumes and
flames and smoke wede almost suffo-
eating. Arthur and Louis Riebe were
among the first on the scene. They
soon had two chemicals at work and
were getting the fire under control
when some crazy loon Thought Lou
was about to burn up and grabbed
him around the waist and pulled him
out. The minute Lou left the flames
grew and Art was about to skin out
of the fiery furnace when he saw Lou
coming back. Again they went at it
and the fire again weakened. Others
were soon ON hand some were crazy
and sent the chemicals squirting over
everst..-S aud every Do5y. The boards
under the gasoline tank were burn
ing. Connolly knew that 1t was gaso-
line and said so. Art understood that
it was kerosene. AS soon as Perry
PendrOy came on the scene the gaso-
line tank was tipped over and started
for the door. In tipping 1t over the
faucet was opened and run full blast
The fire followed the running gasoline
right up to the faucet AS soon as
Art saw how it burned he realized
that it was gasoline. He also realized
tihat as yet the gasoline was cold and
that 1t must be shut off or there
would be something doing. So he
turned the chemical stream ON his
right hand and reached into the fire
and shut OFF the faucet. It did, not
burn him. Connolly and Pendroy pull
ed at the top and Art pushed and
the huge can was soon outside. The
chemicals were soon exhausted, and
still the fire was not out It took a
new lease Of life until Frank Maxwell
and Others came along with their
powder tubes and deadened 1t, when
some more chemicals appeared on the
scene. When people present Thought
the fire was out the Riebe boys
thought otherwise and cut a hole
Thorough the floor and up popped huge
flames. When they subdued the new
menace and all thought the fire was
out the flooring was taken up and
about four inches of bark was found
burning on one Of the strdngers, burn
ing like punk. The flooring was fur
tlher demolished till there was no
further danger. Art says the next
time he goes to a fire and some one
squirts chemical juice over him he is
going to let the fire go and Lick the
fellow that does it. One fellow stood
around in his way and he threw him
out Of the building. Another rhunnp
him him in the wrist with an axe.
The only reason he did not lose lids
hand was because 1t happened to be
a glancing blow. The fact that the
people responded quickly and the FUR
ther fact that there were some cool
headed, brave men Johnny on the spot
saved the town from Melhouse & Ell
lingsons to the Royal elevator on the
south side Of the track. The wind was
In the north. There have been doz-