The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-07-11

Inc legislative IcCOkuS oHN ~
tins which were being printed at the
Tribune plant had been lost.
The legislature reimbursed the
editor for the cost of the legisla-
tive printing which he had already
done and gave him duplicate order.
Second Home
Upon the arrival of the new mater
ials the Tribune went into its second
home which was located in the Webb
block. Thirteen years later the Iri-
bune was homeless for second time
as result of the "big fire" which
swept over the city destroying almost
the entire business district.
The fire originated in the Ola
warehouse which was being used for
a freight house by the Northern Pa
cific railroad about 9 o'clock at nlght'
Aug. 8, 1898. Although no exact
cause for the fire could be discover
ed, it was thought that cigarette
stub or lighted match had been drop
ped in the oil room. Before an
alarm could be given the whole in
terror of the building was aflame.
So vast volume of smoke was pour
ing forth from the building that in
ten minutes Main street was stiff
ling, binding area in which it was
difficult to breathe.
Across from the old warehouse on
Main was the Bismarck Tribune Of
which Jewell was still publisher. Al
most Immediately sparks that were
flying from the burning building
lighted fires over the entire bust
ness district. The Bismarck Tribune
was one of the first to catch fire, and
while some of the materials had been
removed into buildings on the OPP
posite side of the street 1t was only
a short time before the flames had
spread and Tapped them all up.
Half Million Loss
The property loss resulting from
this fire amounted to about half
million dollars with only about $780,
900 covered by insurance. While the
fire was a calamity at the time, it
resulted in Bismarck being rebuilt in
q modern and up-to-date style which
gives the present city an appearance
of newness and freshness envied by
small cities with streets of dilapitat-
ed business blocks.
Within an hour after flames were
discovered immense brick buildings
had melted away and the night was
turned into brilliantly lighted fur
mace. The work of destruction was
so rapid that the message sent from
the Western Union office to Mandan
was never received, and assistance
came from Mandan only after the
red glare of the flames apprised the
residents in that city of the vast
fire.
After the destruction of the Sec
ond home of the Tribune in the Webb
Block, Mr.. Jewell went to Pittsburgh
Pa, to negotiate with Andrew Mel
Ion, present secretary of the United
States Treasury, for the block now
occupied by Hoskin's.
Twenty-Five Years Later
Twenty-Five years later under
the present management, the Tri-
bune for third time was damag-
ed by fire.
Shortly after 8 o'clock on the
morning of Jan. Fl, 1920, a smoke
was discovered by the office force
crawling up from the basement. AL
though the fire department res
pended to the alarm which was turn
ed in Immediately, by the time the
firemen reached the scene the few
stray whisps of smoke had develop
ed into heavy, opake cloud which
swept up from the basement and
completely filled the first and second
floors.
The origin of this fire like those
of the past could never be determin-
ed upon. The business force for the
day had just reported for duty; no
one was known to be about the bail
ing room in which the fire originated
for several hours. Smoking had
been prohibited in all parts of the
shop.
Handicapped by the severe cold
weather, the fire department attempt.
ed to confine the blaze to the waste
paper room in the basement where
it was first discovered. Despite the
streams of water that continued to
play upon the burning building, the
fire continued to shoulder, finally
breaking forth into seething flames
An account of the fire as reported
in the Tribune Of that date says:
"By noon the fire had started to
burn itself out and the firemen, ice
covered and frost bitten in most in.
stances, had succeeded in getting con
troll of the situation. Pouring hun.
dreds of gallons Of water which al.
most froze solid as it left the nozzle
Of the hoses the blaze was beater
back until all danger Of further
spreading was past.
GAIL the delicate linotype machines
bolted to the floors, were badly dam
aged by the tons Of water thrown
into the building while the CAREFUL!
adjusted presses were sheets of ice
The thousands of pieces Of type wer'
unframed by fire or smoke but wer'
frozen into solid masses.
Big Press Damaged
"The printing press, one Of tn
finest Of it's kind, is an almost tota
loss, it is believed, as the fire ha
burned it's fiercest around it an
huge quantities of water had floode