The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-09-30
BUTTE, MONT.
Million Dollar, Fire Swept Heart of
the Citv.

the City.
Fire that ragged for more than six
hours in the heart of the business dis
trict of this city Sunday morning total
ly destroyed twelve business houses,
seriously damaged nearly "a score of
others, and entailed loss of property
that will aggregate nearly $1,000, coo.
Eight persons were injured by fall
ing walls, but no loss of life resulted.
1t was one of the worst conflagra-
tons in the history of the northwest,
and by far the most disastrous blaze
that ever visited Butte.
Lives of nearly 800 persons were en-
dangered by the flames, and for a time
1t seemed that the commercial center OF
the city would be entirely wiped out.
Tenants in blocks along Park street
between Main and Montana streets
were driven from the buildings in
scanty attire.
Many did not stop long enough to
dress, but FASTENED to the street below
TO ascertain the extent of the confla-
grafton.
Owing to the early hour, nearly all
of the occupants of the rooming
houses were asleep. When the cry of
fire sounded through the buildings. the
sleepers rushed pell-mell through the
halls, many women and children being
the mad rush.
The fire Sunday recalls to my mind
several of the big blazes that have Wis
tied Butte during my residence of more
than a quarter of a century in the
city" said John Mcguire, the veteran
| actor. Il well remember the first big
fire because it was in my theatre, the
Mcguire, which I built on the present
oil a pf ta OF IF
The fire occurred in July, 1888. The
house was well furnished and 1 had
good business. My loss was about $75,-
600. | Immediately built the present
Grand Opera house on the old site.
THE next large fire occurred in the
fall of 1889 in the Bowes block on West
Granite street. The blaze swept along
Granite from Hamilton to Main and the
loss was between $4,000 and 100000
I'm the early '9Os the Centennial hotel
was burned. 1t stood on the site now
occupied by the Hennessy block and
| think the loss was about $50 COO One
or two lives were lost-at the time.
Many people remember the burning
of the Hale house, where the Florence
hotel now stands | think it occurred
in 1896 The loss was upwards of $780,
000. and few lives were lost in the fire.
THE property loss in the explosion
of 1895 was not great, but about sixty
! lives were lost.
Butte has certainly been fortunate
in the matter of destructive fires. Hell
ena. has been wiped out by fire, Spo-
kane has seen two or three very dis
astrous blazes. Seattle has been almost
completely destroyed and San Francis
co and other western cities have lost
heavily by fire THAT I remember, but
Butte has ESCAPED in a remarkable de-
gree until the fire of Sunday
| 1T is a noticeable fact that cities
visited by disastrous fires have always
entered Immediately afterward upon a
new era of prosperity, and 1 look for
Butte now to follow the established
rule"
George Mihelich. one of the best
known liquor men in the city. doing
business at ITO East Park street, died
last week. The deceased had been in
poor healtll for some months but it
was only about three weeks ago that he
was compelled to enter the hospital for
treatment.
Mr. Mfhelich was born in Carniola.
Austria. Jan. 81, 1S47. and came to
America in 1884 first stopping in In
dianapolis., year later he came to
Butte and went to work in the old
Colusa smelter in Meaderville He ac~
| cumulated wealth and embarked in the
saloon business. but later returned to
his smelter work.
In 1891 he went to Anaconda and
there started a saloon, remaining five
| years. He then returned to Butte and
opened liquor business on East Park
| street. ~.
I Mr. Miheiich died possessed of con-
| siderable wealth. He was a married
| man and his wife is at the present time
| absent, III Austria. There were no chill
| dren. Mr.. Mihelich was a member of
| st. Peter and st. Paul society of Ana
conda, under whose auspices the funer-
al took place on Monday.
Jerry Coffee, one of the men who be-
gan work on the Anaconda shaft from
! ~ grass roots, died at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. James Roe, 627 East
| Broadway. He was a victim of min
er's consumption and had been. in poor
| health long time.
Mr.. Coffee was one of the best known
miners of the camp. He came to this
| section thirty-five years ago and
worked in the Butte mines long before
it was known that copper existed there.
! Although only youth when he came
to Montana. he has worked as a miner
in many parts of the west. He had been
employed in the course of most active
| life in the mines of Colorado, Nevada,
| Idaho and California. He was 90 years
old
| In addition to his daughter, Mrs. Roe.
he left another daughter. Mrs. Michael
| Cullen. and two sisters in this city
| IT -