The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-09-04
WHOLE BUSINESS DISTRICT OF
FRENcHroWN WIPED OUT IN
EARLY MORNING.
BLAZE SEEN FOR MILES
Flames First Discovered as They Burst
From Window Of Room in Rear Of
Western HoteI-Train Whistle
Arousss Residents-One Man Has
Narrow Escape From Death.

A bit of brick wall, warped with the
heat and blackened by smoke-a part
of the wall of what was the Marion
Brothers store-standy as q lone mon
ument to mark the spot where stood.
until early yesterday morning, some
15 or 20 buildings which comprised
the entire business section of FRENCH
town. An early Sunday morning fire
that started In backroom of the
Western hotel, the origin of the blaze
not having been fully determined.
wiped the complete business section
of one of the Oldest towns in Montana
off the face of the valley and burned
80 fierccly and spread so fast that
nothing of the contents of the build
ings could be saved and the one piece
of brick wall is about the only ruins"
now visible. The loss Is estimated at
from $4,000 to $4,000, while the in
surance carried will probably not total
$4,000.
1t was just 4:20 a. m. yesterday
when the ere. wof Northern Pacific
train passing through Frenchtown no.
ticed the fire bursting from a window
of a room at the back of the Western
hotel 1t was the whistle of the en-
gine that first aroused the sleeping
residents and which was responsible
for the saving of. at least one life.
Within two hours the whole business
district OF the town was totally de-
stroyed. 1t was 4:55 o'clock when
Mayor Evans of this city received a
telephone message asking for help
from Missoula. 1t was learned, how
ever. that Mil creek and the slough
at Frenchtown were both dry and after
learning the extent of the flames
Chief Fox OF the fire department de-
cided 1t would be useless for the de-
partment to attempt to take any ap-
paratus to the scene. A voluntary
crew of men would have been offered
but 1t was also learned that with the
men in town and those of several
threshing crews who came in from the
nearby ranches, there were enough
to use all of the water that could be
furnished from the several wells. The
bucket brigades that were formed die
splendid work and their efforts saved
a number of residences and valuable
buildings adjacent to the burned dis
trict. So fast and fierce did the fire
burn that within five minutes after the
alarm was sounded there was NJ
chance to do any fighting or to ever
carry anything from the building any
where In the business district, the onl,
work that could be done to advantage
being from outside the square o
flames. Many OF the wells used b.
the fire-fighters soon had to be aban
doned on account of the heat whicl
was so intense that the curbing am
boxing of the wells and the pump
themselves. except the iron ones, wer
ignited and consumed by the flames.
Buildings Burned.
The following were the principi
buildings burned, the list being glvel
in order along the main street fror
west to east:
North side of street-DuM Moucht
store building and John Richard resi-
dence, directly north: Western hot'
and barn, owned by Mrs L. A. Bar
rate; Marion stables; small house G
Theodore Bedard
South side of street-George Grove
saloon; Mrs. McGowan's restaurant
Hamel & Deschamps butcher shop an
saloon: Marion Brothers store, whic
was owned by the First National ban