The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-11-27

anu SlA Olu6IS LudL SLOOu III d SOllu
row to the east seemed doomed.
An emergency call to Wolf Point
for hose and help caused a local
alarm to be sounded and in a very
few minutes Chief Howe and a
small company of firemen were on
their way with a hand hose cart
on Howe's truck. The IS or 10
miles were covered in % minutes.
Between the hotel and the Shep-
pard building there is a vacant
50-foot lot. The light breeze blow
ing came from the southwest. The
fire having started in the east side
of the hotel, the west wall was the
last to fall. These circumstances
and G.. Ms. tank of water saved
the main business part of the
town. The business street is one
sided with the stores on the south
side. The fire had passed it's hot
test point and the west wall was
still standing when help arrived
from Wolf Point. The Frazer buck
ct brigade had fought a valiant
battle and e. still at it. They
had virtually saved the threatened
buildings but the Wolf Point hose
was attached at the tank connect
ion and the exposed buildings kept
well soaked until immediate dan
ger was past. With eight cords of
wood and a quantity of coal in
the basement of the ruins there
was an abundance of fire left
which a brisk wind would have
made dangerous for several days.
The ashes and embers were thor
oughly soaked before the Wolf
Point firemen left.
G.. B. Yaple, who bought the
property about five years ago and
has operated it since, was inter-
viewed by a Herald reporter who
went to Frazer with the firemen.
Mr.. Yaple said, in substance: 81
have no idea as to how the fire
started. A short while before the
fire was discovered l was in the
basement and put wood in the fire
box of the steam plant and shut
the drafts. The day was so mild
| thought a coal fire was not need
ed. / then went to another part of
town to do some errands. My wife
who discovered the fire in the din
in0 onI 11rn0h rnap, ~ fha nar+h
east corner of the building, said
it seemed to be coming from near
the chimney which was in the
west wall of the room"
When questioned as to the val
ue of the property, the insurance,
ETC., Mr.. Yaple said he valued the
hotel at $4,000 or more and that he
would not have accepted an offer
of that amount. Until the fire
we had in Frazer last Spring I did
not have a cent of insurance. That
fire frightened me-" he said, land
| took out $4,000 insurance on my
plant"
Asked if he would rebuild, he
said he had not had time to con-
slider. Probably l will. I don't
know what else to do"
The businessmen of the town
were of one opinion-that they
had a lucky escape. And there was
much sentiment for raising a fund
to purchase some fire hose and
other needed equipment. Free din
ner was set up for the Wolf Point
firemen. Those who went with
Chief Howe and assisted him were
Morris Listerud, Bill McConnon,
Francis Poulson, Jack Verstegen
Ray Kelberer. Fred Rathert, H. C.
Ditmarson and L. M. Clayton were
among the others who drove up
to see what was going on.
At Nashua
At Nashua, about Is miles west
of Frazer, two buildings were burn
ed by a fire that was discovered
about three o'clock Tuesday norm
ing. 1t is reported to have started
in a building known as the Royal
hotel and cafe, owned by William
Schick. The place, according to
reports, was occupied but not OPP
Grated as a hotel or cafe. Adjoin-
ing the Schick building was the
building occupied by the printing
office and news and stationery
store of Merle Priest, publisher of
the Nashua Independent. Some of
the machinery and stock was saw
ed but much of it was destroyed.
The cause of the fire is not known.
Priest had only a small amount of
insurance. One policy had lapsed
five days before.
At Circle
Last Sunday the building occu-
pied by the post office at Circle
was much damaged by fire but
the mail was saved.
Hotel at Saco
The Windsor hotel at Saco burn
ed the evening Of November 20.
The alarm sounded at 11:0O o.
clock. People in the lobby OF the
hotel had not discovered the fire
when the firemen arrived. Very
little of the contents were saved.
The property belonged to VIM.
Tn1nhar who with hio familv uoro