The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-07-01

The immense stock of general mer-
chandise of Dan McAllen & Co. was
almost totally destroyed by fire
which started in the storage room
in the rear of the main store this
morning. The fire, the origin of
which is unknown, was discovered at
practically the same time by several
different persons shortly before eight
o'clock. ]. F. Ryan, manager of
the store, and some of the clerks
had already arrived. Mr.. Ryan was
busy on the grocery side and Rainer
Lenz, a clerk was carrying sweep
ings and waste paper to the big can
at the rear of the store in which
trash is burned He passed through
the storage room on his way to the
alley and noticed no signs of fire.
On his return trip, only few min
utes later, he found the storage room
so enveloped in flames that he was
considerably burned on one hand
while rushing through the front of
the building to give the alarm. Mr..
Ryan had a moment before discovered
the fire and was already at the tel
ephone. Service at central was quick.
Mr. Ryan called for the fire station,
but the operator, Lillian Salty, re-
allied that it was a fire call and in
stantly pulled the cord that sounds
the gong in the engine room of the
railroad power plant. The siren
sounded promptly, but even before
the alarm sounded the auto hose
truck had left the station. Bystand-
ers estimate that within three min
1ases IF tle discovery Of the fire that
the hose was laid.
Flames Spread Quickly.
The rapidity with which the flames
spread was almost inconceivable and !
prompt as was their response, the
interior of the building was filled |
with flames and smoke before the I
fremen could begin their fight. Cy-
rus johnson was at work in the rear
of Knights Electric shop only a few
feet from the rear part of the Nc
Allen building. He says that when
he left to enter the rear door of the
COOPERATIVE store to get some nails,
he noticed no sign of fire or smoke.
When he came back the whole north
end of the building was mass of
flames. There are several theories
as to the origin of the fire, but they
are only theories. Chief Smith at
first believed that spark had blown
in the back door from the trash burn
er, but later decided that this was
improbable on account of the rela-
tive position of the back. door and !
the point where the fire appeared to
start.
A large number of cases of match
es were piled where oil tanks had :,
formerly stood, and the floor was
with oil. That in some way :
the matches became ignited or that !,
the oil caused spontaneous combus- :
ton are very plausible theories. The
large store room was of the most =
fimsy sort of frame construction, |
built lust after Dan McAllen & Co. :
purchased the stock Of the Traders
store July 2, 1917, and before the ,
ordinance governing construction :
within the fire district was adopted. n
The main part of the building is of y
ordinary frame construction, but the y
ire got above the steel ceiling and y
n the walls and gave the firemen Il
, stubborn fight. The stiffness of
he morning was very fortunate. .
Stocks Removed.
For short time it looked as though
he whole row of wooden buildings,
the Cash Grocery, the post
,ffice, Knights Electric Shop and tt
sulhaug's Studio were doomed, and oil
he contents of these places, except is
ng the postoffice, were mostly re- &C
noved to the street and alley. Neut- gl
ems and Kapinos of the Cash Gro is
cry and Bakery had an extremely OF
lose call The main part of the to
Ianson building in which they are gC
1cated, and the main part of the P,
IcAllen building are separated by a tn
oncrete fire wall, but the rear parts or
the two buildings have only wood
n walls between them and the center
f the fire was near the McAllen sit
est wall. next to the Cash Store. ha