The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-01-21

For the third time in it's career
In each instance fire has been re-
sponsiblc for this situation, and each
OF these three fires has occurred with
in the space of a block on Main
street
Shortly after 8 o'clock this morn
ing smoke was discovered by the Of
fee force trickling up from the base
mcHt floor. An alarm was turned in;
the fire department responded as
promptly as possible, but by the time
the fame fighters had reached the
scene the few stray Wisps Of smoke
had developed into a heavy, opakC
cloud which swept up from the base
ment and completely filled the first
and second floors.
1t seemed impossible for the fire
men to reach the seat Of the blaze
which was in the rear part OF the
basement, and the fire steadily gained
Roadway for almost an hour before
lit finally broke through the first 11OOl
into the second. Then the large
plate glass windows were smashed
and streams were trained upon tht
business Office, press rooms and com
posing rooms: ''. .
| The volume of the smoke was 81
great that it was impossible to re
move from the building anything ex
cept typewriters, bookkeeping ma
chinery and the lighter pieces of fur
niture. The newspaper press, ,jol
presses, linotypes and other heav.
machinery are bolted to solid con
crete bases, and an effort to move
them was out of the question.
Origin Of Blaze Unknown.
No one can throw any light on thu
origin of the blaze. The day me
chancal and business force had jus
reported for duty. Presumably ut
one had been near the baling room
where the fire appears to have start
led, for several hours. Smoking hat
been prohibited in all parts of tn
shop.
Not Serious at First.
Handicapped by the severe coli
weather, the fire department attempt
ed to cOnfine the blaze to the vast
paper room in the basement where
i was first discovered. At this time
about 8 o'clock, there seemed littl
likelihood that the flames Woul
spread beyond the basement.
Additional hose was secured an
soon the hrcmen had three stream
on the burning paper which was senC
ing up great clouds of grayish smoke
The people who were living in tn
rooms on the upper floor in the col
ner of the building had removed mos
of their possessions and some OF tn
fixtures of The Tribune office, sue
as few typcWriters, desks an
chairs, were taken out of the oflic
part Of the building on the cornc
Fire Gains Headway.
In spite of the streams of frcezin
water thrown on the blazing papc
in the basement, the fire gained heat
way, ate it's way through the wOode
floors and up the walls, spreading III
.. til it seemed as if the entire bujIdln
was on fire. Dense volumes Of smoke
! which had now become cOnsidcrabl
; darker indicating that wood and otl
cr innammablc material other tha
| paper, were burning briskly.
! Windows in all parts of the built
t ing on the main floor and upstaiI
were broken in by the fircmen an
5 streams of water were poured int
, all parts Of the building The ROOF
= adjoining the business department o
< the west where huge quantities
( book paper, the newspaper press an
mailing department were stored an
/ located soon was mass OF fire. u
ldcr this room and the business o
D fee was basement, but the rrintll'
0 department on the street floor ha
. no basement and for that reason pro
q ably the blaze did not immedldtel
q penetratc to that part of the bull
ing.
A!I Hope Given Up.
s Even up to 10 O'Clock there SCENE
q a good chance that the fire would |
n confined to the basement where
v had originated and Osem sections OF tl
i. business office and the mailing roo
n adjoining where it had come
J. through the floor. But evidently Il
:. blaze had spread considerably mo
n than could be seen from the outslt
through the impenetrable smoke Fl
r wisps of flame could be seen curlll
7. upwards towards the ceiling and 500
o the entire second floor over the bu
p ness office and mailing room was
q roaring furnace.
| Due to the fact that there was