The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-11-06
No Lives Lost When
Old Landmark is
Destroyed.
LOSS OF $4,000
Blaze Starts Under Kitchen
The Spectacle Attracts a
Vast Throng.

The Mitchell hotel, which for
twenty years held a position as one
of the leading hostelries of South Da-
kota. was totally destroyed by a, fire
which originated in the boiler room
about Las O'Clock this morning. The
loss is estimated at close to $4,000.
For five hours from the time the
lire alarm was turned IN, the streets
surrounding the doomed building at
Third and Main we're packed with
people watching the old landmark
trumble into a mass of smoldering
tlmbers and brick. 1t was probably
the most spectacular fire ever seer i'm
Mitchell.
Located in the very heart of. the
business district of Mitchell, the
hotel structure on fire vas a sourc
OF imminent danger to the surround
ing buildings. To the efficiency of
the volunteer fire department, which
handled the .c%onfiagation without
once allowing it once TO leap to any
OF the adjacent buildings, is due
much credit.
Conditions We're Favorable.
With favorable wind conditions
and a slackening of the vigilance of
the fire fighters in this mornings
tire, it would have been comparative
~ easy to have seen most Of the
business district in ruins. But the
fact that seven streams We're pour
ed itno the burning building from
every angle and every source of
danger watched, kept the fire zone
in a limited area.
A fair northwest wind was blow
ing during the entire time the build
ing was in flames. The saloon of
John w. Birge, in the small brick
building Immediately southeast of
the hotel, escaped serious damage
because of its low height and the
f1reproof exterior. The Commercial
4 Savings bank building, across the
street southwark from the hotel,
appeared to be in grave danger at
times, but blankets moistened by
streams of water kept the heat from
cracking the windows and damaging
the exterior. The women's furnish
ings store of Mrs. Val Wagner. north
OF the hotel, was damaged from
smoke and water.
Clerk Notices Blaze First.
The fire was first noticed by Frank
Case, the night clerk, who smelled
smoke coming from the rear of the
hotel and Immediately notified the
manager, l.. e. Glynn. The two
men ran to the kitchen and saw the
first blaze breaking through the floor
from the boiler underneath.
The fire alarm was turned In immed-
lately.
AT first, the fire department kept
the blaze confined to the kitchen.
which was a frame annex. In a half
hour, this part was almost Quilted
and the smoke was seeping out from
the %cornices of the main part of the
hotel. The flames finally broke
through the roof and $3.50 O'Clock
the rooms in the top floor we're
ablaze. The conflagration proceed
ed comparatively slowly, and it was
after 5 O'Clock when the walls COM
menced to topple and the first floor
was gone. The ruins were blazing
strongly until after z O'Clock.
About fifty people, including
guests and delp, were asleen in the
structure when the fire started. All
were aroused within a few minutes
ehAiN Gil iioIo6So W SSCdpc WIFI lnGlT
clothing and some personal effects
except the employees who had quar-
tiers in the kitchen annex. All
trunks in the sample rooms. belong
ing to travelling men, were saved. A
considerable portion of the furniture
and office fixtures, within easy reach
from the front entrance, also was
saved.
Mother Saves Her Baby.
One of the rescues of. note was that
OF Mrs. Catherine Lovgren, of Min
neapolis, who vas asleep in the third
floor with Ier baby of a few months
old. Mrs. Loygren was wakened in
time to don most of her own ear
ing apparel, but the infant was
brought out in its night clothes,
hugging a doll which it had been
holding in it's arms. Mrs. Lovgren's
trunk was burned. Mrs. Lovgren's
husband is a travelling man and they
had recently moved out of a home in
Mitchell, preparatory to removing to
Minneapolis.
Manager Glynn declared this morn
ing that the insurance on the build
ing was $4,000. approximately one
fourth of Its value. He was not dis
heartened over the loss and declared
that he would waste no time in pre-
pairing to build again upon the same
site. 1--WE are going to put up a four
or five story hotel this time,'' he
said, land it is going to be the best
in South Dakota. I have already had
assurances of backing in the matter"
Built by j. u. Davenport.
The fire of this morning was the
fourth since the building was erected
in 1881. The builder was Joseph l..
Davenport, who was assisted in the
erection by the Milwaukee railroad,
which hauled in all the material for
obstruction free of freight charges. In
gratitude, Mr.. Davenport named the
hotel the Alex Mitchell. in honor OF
the then president of the Milwaukee
system and the man whom the city
was named after. u.
Mr.. Davenport did not remain long
in control of the hotel. Financial
difficulties caused him to dispose Of
his interests and the next few years
saw it change hands repeatedly. Dur