Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-01-16
FIRE Destroys!
HqRl!BpT HOME
Blaze |'|a;|1 Of Uncertain :e Qf|.
gin Started ed in
Attic.
Some Furniture and Valuable Rugs
Were Saved-Was Handsomest
Home in city-Will Be
Rebuilt.

The beautiful residence OF w. +.
Hurlbut recently completed in Blan-
chard Heights addition. caught hre
about II o'clock last night and burned
| to the ground with q total loss. except
a few articles of household furnishings
that were carried out by members OF
the family before the heat and flames
drove them from the building.
The fire broke out shortly after IL
O'Clock. Mr.. and Mrs. Hurlbut and
their sons Harold and Vern had just
returned from the benefit concert given
at the Temple theatre and were about
| to retire when the maid came running
| from her room on the third floor and
announced that the house was ahre.
| She had retired and was awakened by
| the cracking of the flames which at
| first she attributed to hail upon the
| roof.
Started in the Attic.
The fire at that time was in the at
| tic on the west side OF the building,
well in under the roof, and too remote
| from the water connections to think OF
any relief from that source, and too
much under Roadway to hope to save
! the building.
Mr.. Hurlbut organized the family
and the help and began an attempt to
save the most valuable part OF the
household furnishings. But the lights
| were soon cut out by the fire and it be-
came necessary to work with lamps.
but the heat and smoke soon made this
impossible and all rescue work was
abandoned. But in the twenty or thirty
minutes which was thus employed
many valuable rugs and pictures were
saved and many articles of wearing ap-
parel.
No hydrant Near.
Mr.. Hurlbut had taken time to notify
| the fire department as soon as the fre
| was discovered. but the building is re-
mote from any hydrant and no help
could be expected from that source.
Many members of the department and
resident of the Normal hill section
rushed to the scene. but there was
nothing to do but to stand helplessly
and watch the destruction Of the mag
nificent home. Mr.. Hurlbut is of the
opinion that if he had had fire pres
sure when the fire was first known to
him he could have saved the house.
Solitary Chimney Remains.
| The residence was one of the finest
in the city 1t was built last year at a
cost of $4,000 and the furnishings just
| completed We're very elegant. costing
in the aggregate something like So
900. OF all this comfort and elegance
a solitary chimney standing as a mon
ument among the smouldering ruins.
Will Rebuild at Once.
We will rebuild at once" said Mr..
Hurlbut this morning. land practically
along the same lines, changing the
plans only in some minor details We
| feel ourselves fortunate that we saved
| what little we did from the flames. We
have made no definite plans yet as to
| where will reside during the in
term. but many kind friends have
| offered us shelter and we will decide in
| a short time.
| Mr.. Hurlbut is the president Of the
! Commercial Trust company. and the
| Blanchard Heights addition to the city
| is one that his company has recently
| placed on the market. The home
burned last night was the most elegant
and complete in it's appointments Of
| the several modern residences that
have been recently erected in the city.