Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-12-23
Fargo theatre burned
(Contiuea from page ~

from the chimney into the room.
Policeman Telephones Alarm.
The fire was eel by Patrolman
Ferd Tietgens. who telephoned the
alarm. When the department arriv.
ed the flames were bursting from the
topnost window on the south side.
Hose was brought into play In the
real of the building but the fremen
were unable to make Roadway and
soon flames were bursting from every
window in the rear part and the side
on Roberts street. .
Eight Streams Play on Flames.
Flames were e coming from the
roof and the whole street for blocks
was made as light as day. Eight
streams we're set playing on the
flames. The fire rapidly swept to the
front OF the building.
Ceiling Falls With Crash.
Hardly had the fremen begun to
play the streams OF Ice cold water
upon the flames than the ceiling fell
with a crash. The sound OF the fall.
ing brick and debris and the conse.
quent lighting of the sky by the flames
drew a crowd estimated at several
hundred persons. From nearby down
town blocks, from residences and no.
tells the crowd thronged about the
building.
Occupants Of Flats Escape.
The sound of the cracking flames
was better than the cry Of fire. 1t
aroused the occupants OF the fats
and rooms in the opera house annex
on the west side of the theater. The
night was bitter cold but there was
no one of the 20 persons in the
rooms who hesitated about leaving
the building.
Clad Only in Night Attire.
Some of them clad only in their
night attire, they a down the stair.
way to safety. One woman escaped
in her night dress. She carried a
baby In her arms. A young boy ran
into the bitter cold clad only in his
underclothes. Men stripped off their
overcos:s and wrapped them about
the refugees. A. A. Deimbacher of the
Galdher hotel invited the refugees to
his hotel, where they were housed
for the night.
Thinks Fire Started Under Stage.
Late this morning Chief of the
Fire Department Sutherland said he
believed the fire had started in the
part Of the building under the stage.
This, he said, gave the flames a great
start. Sweeping through the scenery
in the rear OF the building the flames
soon reached the roof and spread to
both sides with great rapidity.
Annex 10 Destroyed by Flames
At 5 O'Clock the flames had practi
cally destroyed the Annex with the
probability that nothing could be say
ed in that part of the building. Burn.
ing embers were carried for hundreds
OF feet and the police and firemen tool
care to pre- ;ent the spread of the
flames to other nearby buildings, A
fireman was stationed with a small
hose on the top, of Elks' hall adjoining
the Opera House block on the east
but separated by a narrow alley
While the heat there was intense. lit
tie damage was done.
Save Valuable Music Case
C. a.. Baernstein was one of the first
to arrive on the scene of the fire. APP
preciating the value Of the music ant
musical instruments stored in the
building, he rushed into the opera
house and, aided by volunteers, carried
a music case and contents valued al
$4,000 to safety. Much Of the musica'
equipment Of the theater orchestrs
was lost. Several pianos were saved
in the Annex.
Fireman craNled Down Fire Escape
One Of the marrow escapes OF the
fire was recorded in the thrilling dast
for liberty of the fireman of the thea
ter, whose name could not be learned
this morning. He was sleeping in the
front part of the Annex and was no
aroused until his escape had been cut
off from the hear. Rushing to the
front part of the theater he crawlet
down the icy fire escape. He wa;
scantily clad. hut was soon wrapped
in warm clothing.
Tea company's Stock 10 Saved
The stock of the Grand Union Tes
company on the .arst floor OF the build
ing was partly saved a. a late hou,