The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-07-31
Family Theater, ]. c. Johnson's Dwelling and
King Transfer Barn Obliterated by Fire.
PRIMITIVE MANNER OF GIVING ALARM |SAWKwARD
Femen Notified by Telephone and by Revolver Shots, Def
mite Location Not Being Given, and Take Long Way
Around-Excellent Water Pressure Gives Good
Assistance.

For just one hour last night the
business section of Missoula was seri-
Ously threatened by fire and that the
damage was confined to the burning of
the Family theater, (the old Union
opera house) the large frame dwelling
on the corner of Main and Pattee
streets and the barn adjoining, facing
Pattet street, Is due to the fact that
there was no wind and that the delay
In the fire department in reaching the
scene and getting water at work was Of
only few minutes duration. All three
buildings mentioned were burned to the
ground and black pile Of smouldering
ruins marks the quarter of block
where the buildings stood. An esti-
mate of the total property loss Is from
$4,000 to $4,000.
The fire started In the barn, which
was used by ]. w. King as livery
and transfer stable, its origin being un-
known. So fast did the flames spread
through the old wooden structure that
within three minutes after they We're
discovered and even before the alarm
had been turned in to the fire station.
the structure was ablaze from front to
rear, the flames shooting hundred
feet In the air. One man, Fat" Nor
rls a teamster who was sleeping In
the barn, narrowly escaped with his
life and had his hair burned off and
face and hands scorched before he was
rescued by Mr.. King, the proprietor.
and one horse, all that happened to be
In the barn at the time. was burned 20
death. Mr. Kings loss, according to
his own estimate, was $4,000, all of
his rigs and everything he owned in
connection with his business except the
other horses, being burned.
Fire Truck Sticks.
AS was stated, the whole barn was
a mass of flames before anyone had
time to turn In fire alarm. Then
the department was aroused with cries
OF "fire!' and pistol shots. The big
auto truck made the run north one
block to Cedar street, instead Of going
straight down Main street. because tho
fire was given as at the Coleman flats;
the truck got stuck on a rock pile llong
the sewer trench half a block east Of
Higgins avenue before foot OF hose
could be played out. BY the time the
horse cart arrived with other hose. the
flames had spread to the rear of the
theater building and that structure and
the dwelling house were both burning
fiercely before third stream OF water
could be brought into action. All
the buildings being of wood, the flames
were fierce and hot and in As minutes
from the time the fire was first no.
ticed all three structures were prac-
tically burned to the ground.
The fire started at IL 30 and by 12: 80
1t was under control. with no wind
blowing. However, the firemen con-
tinued strong fight to keep the flames
from spreading to the Green & Elling-
house livery barn, a one-story brick
building next east to the Family thea
ter, and only by the hardest kind of
work was this building saved. AS soon
as the extent of the fire was apparent,
the proprietors of this barn removed all
OF their horses. about so head, and then
cleaned the barn of all other furnish
ings and rigs. With the exception of
a portion of the rear partition being
burned through the building was little
damaged. the brick wall next to the
burning theater serving In good stead
against the heat.
4 The dwelling on the corner was oc-
cupied by Mr.. and Mrs. J. C. Johnson
\ and was used as a boarding house.
The rooms were all full and with the
aid of the men In the house and those
from the crowd. who volunteered their