The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-02-01
PLENTYWOOD HIT
BY $4,000 FIRE
HARDWARE, NEWSPAPER, POOL
HALL, DRUG STORE--COOD
WORK BY FIREMEN
(Plentywood Pioneer Press

VI ACiby WOOQ L AOltSCl l. 1NooJ
The most disastrous fire that ha;
ever occurred in Plentywood, anc
as a matter of fact, the first fire OF
any consequence, occurred last Thurs
day, January rs, at 5:15 a. m.
Awakened by his pet dog, Zeh
Garneau smelled strong smoke fumes
and aroused the rest of the family
and then gave the alarm that the
Idle Hour pool hall was on fire. The
new electric fire siren proved its
worth and its long continuous shrieks
brought the fire company out in short
order and in a few minutes they were
Investigating the location of the fire.
Clouds of smoke filed the air and
both the pool hall and the Holland
Strand store. There was no flame
apparent and it was near impossible
to tell which place was burn
ing. Lines of hose were laid and,
equipped with gas masks, the boys
entered the buildings and began the
fight against the fire demon, which
was to prove the hardest ever fought
in the history of the company.
The fire had evidently ~smouldered
for some considerable length of time
and within a few minutes after the
boys arrived, flames broke out be-
tween the pool hall and the Pioneer
Press building, almost simultaneous
ly with the breaking out of the flame,
in the hardware store.
With the breaking through of the
flames the fire spread completely
over all three buildings. The fire
laddies worked bravely but it was
plain that those three buildings were
doomed and that the balance of the
block and tier of buildings running
east were in grave danger.
Leadership, GOODNESS and good head
work on the part of both chief Helm
and Assistant Chief Zeidler, backed
to a man by other members Of the
department are responsible for the
fact that the loss was not greater.
The saving of the Miller Drug store
was little short of a miracle, being
a frame building, standing about
four inches from the Holland Strand
building, everyone except the boys
who were doing the fighting gave it
up as lost, but they saved it.
Holland Strand are the heaviest
losers, carrying a stock of about 800
600 with less than $4,000 Insurance,
but a small portion of their goods
were carried out.
The Pioneer Press follows with a
loss of $4,000 to 100000 with $10,-
900 insurance.
The Idle Hour lost a $1,000 stock
with $1,000 insurance.
The Miller Drug company suffered
about a $1,000 loss by removing
The Idle Hour building was owned
by F. G. Fishback, about a $1,000
.oss with $1,000 insurance.
Kelly and Goodman owned the
Holland Strand building valued at
$4,000 with $4,000 insurance. Kran-
ger owns the Miller Drug store build
ny and suffered a loss of about $500
The library suffered a small loss
" removing all the content of the
when it seemed impossible
0 save it.
Plans are already being made by
Ir. Fishbeck and Mr.. Dolin to erect
5O-foot front brick building on
heir lot to house the Pioneer Press
one side and, the other side will
,e erected for rental purposes.
We have already wired for infor-
nation as to when we might expect
elivery on a new linotype and a new
.p-to-date plant will be put in just
S soon as possible in some temporary
uarters.