The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-04-29
FLAMES AT STANDPOINT DESTROY
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
WORTH or TIMBER.
TWO TOWNS THREATENED
Stif' Wind Carries Confiaarator Stead
ily Toward Ponderay and Kootenai
and Residents Are Preparing TO Re.
move Their Effects to Places OF
Safety-Dynamite Is Freely Used.

Standpoint. Idaho hprii 2s.--Cspe-
cial) Fire, which started in the yards
Of the Hnmbird Lumber company. IA
the outskirts of this city. early tonight.
has destroyed $3.50 O0o worth Of lumber
and H. now threatening destruction In
the plant Of the Saginaw Match Block
factory and the towns af Ponderay
ana kpot"nai Famed by Il stiff
breeze the flames are eating their way
through the lumber yards northward
toward the match factory and the two
little towns. Every available man i'm
the city aud surrounding country has
been impressed into service to fight
the conflagration and dynamite is
being used freely. but efforts 10 check
the progress Of the flames seem futile.
Every explosion that hurs lumber,
burning brands ana flames high into
the lurd sky only seems to spread
rather than check the destruction
More than 80 acres Of lumber are now
boiling, seething cauldron of flames
that are eating their way steadily and
persistently northward through Yards
whore between 10000 and co 900 feet
of lumber IN piled The heat OF the
fire ls so intense that the fire fighters
are unable 10 get close enough to make
their work effective and the light of
the flames has turrted night into day.
The residents Of Ponderay and Koote-
mai are preparing to remove their be-
lonslngs 10 places of safety VI the
course Of the fire rs not checked soon
The fire started about T:30 o'clock
| this evening near the dry sheds Just
east of the Great Northern spur bridge
| No one seems to be able 10 account
for the manner In which tine fire start
| ed. Before the general alarm could be
given and aid secured, the flames had
reached alarming proportions. and, in
spite of numerous streams of water
both from city hydrants and the mill
pump. as well as the free use of dyna-
mite. the flames have been steadily
creeping northward into the heart of
one of the largest lumber yards ia the
west. The mill and planer of the Hum
bird company Is practically out of dan
ger. The heat for blocks away from
the fire is intense The plant OF the
Saginaw Match Block factory. Just
VIII be in the direct run of the flames
unless they are subdued In few
hours. Dynamite Is being used In large
quantities In razing the piles of nmber
north of the fire. and. If this resort
fails. the block factory Is doomed.
The fire Of this evening /. one that
VIII be long remembered by the sew
eral thousand people who have been
watching II for hours For hundreds
Of feet about the flaming lumber yards
II Is as light az day and the flames
shoot hundreds OF feet toward the sky
and may be seen distinctly for many
miles. The explosion of dynamite at
intervals drives myriads Of sparks and
flaming particles OF wood high In the
air and adds To the spectacular sight.
The disastrous fire means the loss
Of employment for at least month
or six weeks TO many of the mill em-
ployes Of the Humbird company. as IL
viii take at least that long 10 remove
the debris and replace the tracks
between the piles OF lumber With
the lumber yard cleared and the tracks
repaired. the company will have to
run day and night shifts to fill their
orders, which. even then, will be greatly
delayed, For the next few weeks, ii
is understood. the Humbird plant at
Kootenai Will run double shift in
an effort to make up for the loss OF
time ut the Standpoint mill The esti-
mated loss OF the fire tonight II placed
at $3.50 900. II IL claimed by those who
know that this loss is fully covered by
Insurance.
The wind. which has been tanning
the flames, has been steadily increas-
ing in force ana inhabitants of Pom
deray and kootenai are getting ready
to save their household effects, should
the flames reach those towns The
fire is gaining In strength and ferocty
every minute and the fire fighters have
/ given up all hopes of saving the plant
Of the Saginaw Match Block factory.
| Kootenai, the division point of tho
Northern Pacific railway, and the Yards
of Standpoint are the scenes of great
| activity. Those in charge Of the
I roundhonse and repair shop ut koote
\ mai are in fear Of the fire reaching
! that point and orders have been issued
/ to have every engine In the round
| house fired and ready for instant use a
| All the cars at the Ponderay and Koot-
| eHat yards nave b"eh removed u Il
place of safety and the hose equipment
Il ready for use at any moment.
j y. Humbird manager Of the Hum-
bird eompanys plants 'in this city
and at Kootenai, is In Spokane and
will leave ON the eastbonnd Northern
Pacific passenger No. for the scene
of the eonflagration.
! 1t is estimated that It VIII be sev
eral days before the fire In the tlum-
| bird Yards Is eNtinguished