Fergus County Democrat., 1906-02-06
Butte Experiences Half Million
Dollar Bldze---The Property of
Rendt0r W. A. Clark.
WILL AFFECT COPPER PRODUCTION
Recent Telegram From Senator Clark
Authorizes Immediate Re-
Building of Plant.

Butte, Jan. 31.-The concentrator of
the Butte Reduction works was totally
destroyed by fire of an unknown origin
about 1870 this morning, entailing
loss estimated in the neighborhood Of
$500, 900, partially covered by insurance,
and practically causing a suspension
of the smelter.
Four hundred men are employed at
the reduction works. but the major
number of these will be afforded en-
ployment in the cleaning up Of the de-
brS and Wreckage.
1t will take several months to re
build the smelter.
At four o'clock the fire was still
burning but under control, with about
thirty lines of hose playing upon the
embers.
The absence Of wind gave the fire
men decided advantage in combat
ting the flames, as had there been a
breeze, as is usual on the flats, it is
believed the entire smelling plant
would have been destroyed.
The Clark mines will continue as
| usual, according to General Manager
A. H. Wethy, who announced that the
ore would be shipped to the Washoe
smelter at Anaconda for treatment.
| The fire was discovered in the S0-foot
| elevator shaft of the cOncentrator at
about 1890 a. m. by Night Watchman
Archie La Chapelle while making his
| rounds La Chapelle FASTENED to alarm
| Engineer William Bullock, who, how
| ever, had also discovered the blaze and
| footing the fire alarm whistle in a
lusty manner, the engine whistles soon
| joined in the alarm.
The flames spread with great rap
| idity, and almost before the first lines
| of hose We're laid the fire was eating it's
| way through the concentrator building
| with a fierceness that for a time
| threatened the entire plant
The fire department of the Butte Re
| duction works was fighting the fire
soon after the sounding of the alarm,
and they We're soon reinforced by de-
partments from the city, williamsburg
and the Centennial brewery, assisted
| by corps of smeltermen.
The concentrator is located in the
| west end of the works, the flames of
the burning structure imperiling the
| boiler room, which was saved only
after the hardest kind of work on the
| part of the firemen. Again and again
| the flames advanced toward the boiler
rooms in threatening manner only
to be beaten back by the stubborn
men with hose lines in their hands.
| Within a comparatively brief time
the entire concentrator building was a
seething furnace, and the attention of
the fremen was directed toward the
| preservation of the adjoining struc-
lures, which every minute threatened
to be enyelopd by the roaring flames
The walls of the concentrator soon col
lapsed, sending myriads of sparks high
into the heavens, the falling of the
walls being followed by the crashing
to the ground of the two heavy ore
crushers, their descent through the
mass of burning timbers being followed
by a roar of smashing wood and a vol
cano of sparks and fiery embers thrown
about with the force of sky rockets.
The concentrator was fielled with the
most modern concentrating milling
machinery to be found in any milling
plant in the west. One 60O-horse power
motor alone is valued at $4,000.
The ore bias to the west of the con-
centrator We're partially burned, and
that they We're not totally destroyed