The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-11

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back, and when the fireman had
Joined her, stepped out again and
climbed down to the ground.
At the north enc of the building two
men, A. K. Goldman, a travelling sales
man, and w. D. Wilson of Hamilton, q
cripple, We're helped from a second
story window by firemen with a lad
der. They were the only guests in
their rooms when the fire broke out,
and they were in danger only from the
smoke.
With Chief Loffness leading and di-
recting the attack, the firemen began
their fight against the flames. When
they arrived the fire had already
spread over the third floor and was
beginning to break through to the
story below. Several streams of water
were quickly thrown on the building
from tie front and rear, and within
an hour it was evident hat the fire
would be kept from the Eddy black.
For half an hour longer the flames
swept through the hotel, and when at
last they had been extinguished the
two upper floors had been burned
clean and The lower floor was flooded
with water that dripped from the CELL
ings.
Total Less.
Fire Chief Loffness, who is ex-officio
building inspector, declares that the
hotel is unsafe, and will have to be
torn down. Mr.. Mcleod, head Of the
Hammond interests here, was not sure
last night what would be done. 1--WE
will have a competent architect exam
inc the ruins, and if the building can
be remodeled we will fix it up in the
spring. If it can't, l am not sure what
we will do We haven't made any
plans yet"
Sensational Stories.
| Early stories of the fire were ex-
tremely sensational. Guests were pic
tured running out of the flaming hotel
in their nightgowns, and it was stated
that so or so people were gotten out
only after many difficulties. AS a
matter of fact only half a dozen peo-
pie were in the upper stories Of the
building at the time, and only one exit
even bordered on the sensational. The
n thrilling experience was that of
w. D. Wilson of Hamilton. This man
was confined to his bed, and was res
cued only by merest chance. A. K.
Goldman, who helped him out, tells
the story: Il had beer out on the
streets for a couple of hours before
the fire broke out, and at 1890 had
returned to my room. l had just taken
off py coat and shirt so that l might
wash when l heard the fire truck run
past. l looked out of the window, but
didn't see anything, and went back.
Suddenly | smelled smoke in the air
and opened the hall door. The wave
of smoke that rushed in almost
knocked me down.. l remembered that
there was no fire escape in my room
n could see that the elevator was
out of reach, so 1 crept on my hands
n knees to the other room. l looked
out of the window and saw that there
was no fire escape, and was just turn
ing back when | stumbled over a man
who was lying on the floor. l asked
him what had happened inc he said,
I don't know in a Supplied sort of
way, as il the smoke had already
made him unconscious. l didn't know
that he was a cripple, and thought that
~ ''"Ss pS VI a'iN, u 1 'idSScu NM
back to my room and stuck his head
out of the window. A ladder came be-
fore long and we got down. That fell
low in the other room was lucky that
l happened to go in. for he surely
would have suffocated if I hadn't"
OF mock-heroic exploits there were
many, but none more amusing than
that of Tommy Stevenson. Tommy
and other representatives of the Swift
companies remembered, after the fire
had gotten well started, that all the
records were in Tommy's room on the
second floor of the building. The cou-
pie found a ladder Inc up into the
smoke Tommy swarmed. He hoped
INTO the room, and in a minute reap
peared, binding his eyes from the
smoke. He held a heavy suitcase,
and without looking hurled it from
the window squarely on the deby hat
of his associate, who was a few feet
below him. The lucky scaler "accor-
dioned' into a foot of space so that
the next suitcase flew over his head.
There was only one thing in con-
nection with today's fire that I care
70 make any comment about said
Ere Chief Loffness last evening after
he had left the ruins in charge of
two Watchmen who were to remain on
lty all night in the building. while
| appreciate the willingness displayed
" Everybody to assist us in the Eight,
III. there was too much assistance
forced upon us today n as a result
it was very difficult to maintain any
kind of organization in the work. An
i%nstnace of this was when We got the
ladders out to bring down the on'a
from the third story. A big crowd
rushed III and grabbed the la 'deis and
started them up the wall wrong end
first While there was no real danger
to the woman at the time, there might
have been necessity for great haste,
and this caused a loss of about five
minutes of time.