The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-10-27
i. Guests Awakened

Alex Logan and C. w. Henderson.
who were sleeping on the second floor
OF the Northwestern hotel, described
the explosions The detonation re-
sounded through the building, they
said. The first terrific explosion was
followed by a second, and flames
burst through the one-story frame
garage building.
Logan grabbed his belongings and
notified other guests. Henderson
telephoned to Claire Register, the
night clerk, to sound the alarm and
notify guests and then began doing
so himself. Nearly every one in the
hotel was awake after the first ex-
plosion, but one boy is said to have
been found soundly asleep while
! flames were licking the windows OF
the hotel building.
Harlan Fogarty, employed by the
garage, had remained in the garage
until 2.30 a. M, until the last cars had
been brought in for the night and he
had cleanedNup the place. There was
no fire in the garage when he left, he
said. There was no gasoline tank in
the garage andethe heating plant had
not been in operation for several
days, although SIP worth of coal had ,
been put in the bins only few days
ago.
O. w. Roberts, owner of the garage,
and Frank Roberts. who managed it,
we're unable to account for the ex-
plosion. There was no debris in the
place. it being carefully cleaned up
each day, they said, and there was no
oil or gasoline to come In contact
with any flames. Spectators at the
fire volunteered the explanation that
the ignition of an automobile might
lave started blaze which spread to
a gasoline tank.
The alarm was turned in by a night
policeman. Immediately after the fire
department arrived three lines Of
hose were strung ando water poured
into the garage Affew minutes af-
ter they arrived the roof of the gar
age caved In and before many
spectators we're there, many Of whom
came with <raincoats or Overcoats
covering scanty\ garments, the build
ing was seething furnace, so hot
that firemen were almost scOrched as
!. they dragged their lines of hose
closely to the burning building.
Flames slipping through windows
into the. hotel building, found fertile
field. The hotel owned by the North
ern Pacific railroad company and
leased by E.. G. Patterson. was OF
frame construction, brick-veneered.
Although rain of the last two days had
! water-soaked the roof and the damp
, atmosphere retarded the flames, as
quickly as they had got good start
in the dry timbers OF the inside of the
hotel, they spready rapidly
In the meantime employees of the
Patterson hotels had dragged out
some of the furniture In the office,
and many guests who had fled at the
sound Of the explosion, had time to
get out their personal effects.
Employees of the American Express
company, which had an office in the
hotel building on Fifth street, backed
truck up to the door and got practi-
cally everything out except the safe.
John Bortell, whose hardware store
was in the hotel building on Fifth
street.. and employees went into the
store, got desk,s important papers
and tried to bring out all of the
ammunition. Some, however they did
not get.
! Lights Put Out
Soon after the fire started a light
fwire circuit was broken to prevent
danger of electrocution and portion
Of the city was in darkness.
Spectators poured into the fire zone
from many directions. Only a
Northern Pacific train crew appeared
unconcerned They ran an engine up
J, to the water power within 30 feet OF
The garage and calmly took on water
while the flames were consuming the
garage.
Firemen worked to confine the fire
to the hotel and garage, after the
t fire had swept into the hotel Many
:, spectators volunteered to help man
!. the hose among them Henry Reade
! former state fire marshal. At one
: time there Wero seven lines of hose