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

it had spread over such an area before
discovered. Then it was so concealed
that it was hard to reach. lnNestiga-
ton shows little question as to he or
,gin. Hot ashes or something started
the blaze III the old elevator shaft that
rms through the kitchen. The draft
through this carried the flames up
Mard' to the attic, where they spread
around through the dry timbers, BURST
ing forth on every side al at once.
We a plenty Of water, rs there were
COON 10 lines of hose, about 5000 feet
in all, strung to the block. The pres
sure was fine as soon az it was turned
on direct from the high line main. We
bad no need of the steamer at any
time.
1T was the heavy fire wall-the
noith wall of the hotel part of the
block which extends up through the
roof-that made it possible to save
the Eddy block. We chopped holes in
the roof along this wall and put four
streams at work backing the fire
away. This caused the flooding of
Kohn's and Prices stores, but it saved
the rest of the block with practically
no damage. .
The boys all worked hard today
and l give them credit for splendid
work. The volunteers regularly en-
ployed also did splendidly. Things
might have resulted much worse, but
for their efforts"
A Bit of History.
The florence hotel block was fin
c1,ns -, 1000 arI fhn firpt GOO
were CLANCY and Stevens. After a
short time Mr.. CLANCY became the sole
proprietor and has remained in charge
of the hotel continuously. Under his
management the place has always
been one of the most popular host
leries in the west . Its dining room
became famous all over the country
and all of the old-time travelling men
were fon of the place. During it's
history many noted guests have
stopped at the Florence, among those
of more recent years having been
General Merritt of the department Of
the Dakotas, James A. Garfield, when
secretary of commerce and labor;
James Wilson, when secretary of agrl~
culture, and Colonel Roosevelt. The
destruction of the hotel will bring
regret to many.
H. A. Bisbee of the Mountain States
Telephone & Telegraph company had
two arteries severed in his hand dur
ing the fire. He was going upstairs
to get the telephone from Harry
Chaney's private office, when a heavy
piece of glass fell through the elevator
shaft and glanced sideways to cut his
and Several stitches closed the
wound.
The Ohm JeWelry company moved
stock twice yesterday; first from the
Eddy block to the Paxton block and
then to the First National Bank block.
Two moves are as bad as a fire, says
Mr.. Kohn.
+ A. D.. Prices stock never looked
bigger than it did yesterday after
noon, heaped on the floor of the Forbis
building on East Cedar street.
A travelling nan was overhead to
say yesterday afternoons: Il was sit
ting in my room in the Florence hotel
when a brave fire laddie crashed
through the window, strobe to the
middle of the room, raised his axe
and with a mighty blow split the Ii,
brary table in two and then dashed
out of the room"
Where in thunder did they put the
suitcases" an anXious-eyed young
man was inquiring through stores and
offices yesterday afternoon.
A $40 dresser was being lowered
from the second-story window and In
transit knocked a hole in a 5000 plate
glass window on the first floor.
A CHASTITY ruin was the Florence
hotel last night. That horrible smell
of drowned embers hung over every-
thing. and from the dark interior of
the lobby that was so warm and
cheerful "a hours before came the
dreary drip of water upon the tiled
floor. A couple of unfortunate fire,
men prowled through the wreck of the
old hotel and the ruined room tina,
was once owen Kelley's poolhall. The
outside of the building looks cold and
~forbidding with a ghostly sheeting of
ice from top to bottom. 1t is a real
wreck.