Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-09-26
MILLION LOST
IN BUTTE FIRE
Portion Of the Business Section ot
Montana's Great Mining Camp
10 Wiped Out.
STARTS IN THE sYMoNs STORE
Public Library, With It's Thousands
OF Books, Destroyed-A Day Of
Excitement.

Butte, Sept. 24.-The most disas.
trous fire in Butte's history occurred
today when three three-story blocks,
a two-story brick and several smaller
buildings were laid waste by flames
which threatened Tor a time to sweep
through all Butte's business center.
Besides the blocks mentioned, the pub
lie library building was almost de-
stroyed and the books, of which there
were $4,000 volumes, were almost to-
tally ruined by smoke and water.
The fire started about $3.50 o'clock
this morning In the boiler room which
is in the sub-basement of the Symons
Dry Goods company on West Park
street. The store is three stories in
height, occupying the front of the
Maule and York blocks on West Park
street. The store occupies 10000
square feet of space and extends
through to Galena street and Park
street and the store bridges this.
There are no rear walls in the build
ing and the store was filled with in.
fammable material, with nothing to
stop Tor an instant the spread of the
flames.
Apparatus is Useless.
The fire was discovered by the
watchman, but almost Immediately
the building was filled with smoke
and it was apparent that nothing could
be done with the apparatus which is
Kept on each floor of the store. The
ring was sent for the fire department,
but by the time it arrived smoke was
coming out of every window of every
floor.
The store was utterly destroyed;
not shred Of goods was saved: build
ing and stock are total loss. Symons
estimates his stock at 100000, of
which about one-half is covered by in
surance. The building was worth
$125.000. partially covered by insur
ance.
Sweeping east on Park street the
fire destroyed the Barret and Wood
worth blocks, with the Black confec-
t1onery store, the Walkover Shoe com.
pany, the Bartlett confectionery store.
and one or two other small buildings
and also destroyed the lodging houses
above these stores. The lodging
houses were used as offices and rooms
and the inmates met almost a total
loss, although few managed to get
some of their effects to a safe place.
The fire stopped at the east of the
Shodair block. occupied by the Brown
field-Canty Carpet company, which
met with a loss Of about $4,000 from
smoke and water. Next east was
Senator Clark's big PENNSYLVANIA
block, but no damage was done to It.
although for time It seemed that
the building must be doomed.
Stops at Renshaw Alley.
westward OF the Symons building
the fire destroyed the Strasburger ci.
gar store. Savil1e's meat market and
Recksiek's bakery, all total loss. This
brought the fire to Renshaw alley.
where 1t stopped. Renshaw hall, on
the oposite side of the alley, caught
fire several times, but the flames were
extinguished.
Merchants on the north side of Park
street were working hard with pri-
vate lines OF hose trying to keep the
flames from catching on their fronts.
and in this way some of the progress
OF the flames was checked The Clark
block had volunteer crew on each
floor with lines of hose drenching the
walls. while similar forces were at
work on the Goldberg block, where
the Lewis store is located. Nearly
all the plate glass windows on the
north side of the street were broken
or cracked by the intensity of the heat.
There was a high wind prevailing all
through the forenoon and the flames
leaped from the Symons building
across Park street to the Goldberg
blocks roof. went along this roof to
the roof of the library building on
Broadway. The fire on the roof of
the Goldberg block was extinguished.
but the fire gained strong foothold
on the library's roof, and this building
was Quilted and the books nearly all
DESTROYED. The walls are standing
and the library can be rebuilt.
The total loss by the fire will be
close to $1,000 900.