McIntosh Suffers Heavy Loss From a Very Destructive Fire

The Standing Rock Hotel Now Only a Thing of the Past. Total Loss $25,000


The Standing Rock Hotel of this city, which was conceded to be the finest and most up-to-date hotel between Aberdeen and Miles City was burned to the ground early Tuesday morning. The loss is a total one, with insurance on building and furniture about partly covered. The value of the building was figured at about $20,000. While there were several most miraculous escapes made by the guests, most fortunately no lives were lost, excepting a pet bull dog belonging to E.J. Morris, assistant cashier of the First National.
At about 2:15 o’clock in the morning, the alarm of fire was turned in and the unwelcome sound of the old fire bell awakened the denizens of this little metropolis from their peaceful slumbers. C. A. Green, better known as Dad, who has been acting as night watch for some time past, while returning from his midnight lunch at the Ecker, discovered a cloud of smoke emanating from the southeast corner of the Standing Rock Hotel, and immediately made one of his famous fade-away sprints for the city hall to give the alarm.
It is very evident that our fire laddies are always on the lookout for a call, as they were very easily aroused and upon the scene with two good streams of water, and the chemical engine in action by 2:30 at least, less than fifteen minutes after the sound of the gong. However, by this time the entire structure was ablaze, and with a stiff wind blowing from the northwest, it was impossible to check it, but through our splendid system of waterworks and the untiring efforts of the fire department it was confined to this building alone, although for nearly an hour and a half it appeared to be a most hopeless task.
The saving of the Waffle & Borah general store, not over three feet away from the burning structure, was surely a wonderful feat, and the fire fighters are certainly deserving of much praise for their splendid work. It would have been impossible for the trained fire departments of the larger cities to have used their noodles to a better advantage, and accomplish any better results. The whole town was threatened and we dare say for a considerable time nearly every property owner on Main Street would have disposed of their places for a song. The fire appears to have started from the furnace in the basement, and before it was discovered, the entire lower floor was ablaze. Even the night clerk, Jack Claypool, who was sleeping in the office, didn’t discover it, until he was aroused by the squeaking of his cot, giving away under the burning timbers. He awoke from a sound sleep and beginning to get a whiff of something burning, started to investigate, and found the building afire. He then immediately got busy and endeavored to wake up the guests, but finding the stairway already ablaze, climbed upon the porch roof and proceeded to kick out windows and give the alarm.
By the time the guests were aware of the situation, they had all they could do to save their lives, let alone trying to save anything, and E.J. Morris, Shady Pullen, Al Cross and Jack Claypool, assisted in every way possible at this time. Landlord and Mrs. Case and baby, Miss June Howard, R.E. Pope, and Engineer Hooper Revord, just barely escaped with their lives and then with only their night robes. Among the other guests were Mrs. Carlson, Al Cross, Shady Pullen, Tom Finnegan, Dave Brown, E.J. Morris, Heine Wyman, and a railroad men by the name of Carter, Boody. Miss Florence Udelhofen, but they were able to save some of their belongings. There were also two traveling men, one by the name of Cunningham, who travels for the Marshal Oil Co., and Weston, with the DeLaval Cream Separator people, who escaped with a very negligee apparel, losing the greater part of their personal effects. Nearly all the guests had either their eyes or hair singed. John Watson, the barber, and his family who were occupying a room on the main floor, also had a very narrow escape, and had it not been for the presence of mind of Charlie Hoover, trying to kick their door in and causing Watson’s little dog to bark most ferociously, it might have been very doubtful if they would all have come out alive. As it was they merely got out with their lives, losing most of their personal effects, and over $30 in cash.
The losses are as follows:
Building $20,000
Furniture 2,500
Landlord Case, Personal property 800
Landlord Case, Cash 200
John Watson, Personal property 150
John Watson, Cash 35
R.E. Pope, Personal property 400
R.E. Pope, Cash 50
T.A. Finnegan, Personal property 200
E.J. Morris, Personal property 100
June Howard, Personal property 100

Engineer Hooper Revord’s loss will also no doubt reach between $75 to $100, while others lost smaller amounts. Mr. Revord also cut his feet quite badly and otherwise bruised jumping out of the window.
The passing away of this old landmark makes the four-corners look rather sick at present, but we understand that other improvements are contemplated that will bring it back to a respectable appearance again before long. The Standing Rock Hotel was built by Merchant J.A. Archambault when McIntosh was in its infancy and showed promise of becoming quite a little city. This popular hostelry was always pointed to with considerable pride, and the loss is keenly felt by all. This is the first real disastrous fire to visit us since the town started, and makes the blow seem doubly hard.
The above picture does not do justice to the hotel building, as it only shows about half of it, but will give one some idea of the place.

Taken from the McIntosh Globe-Chief January 21, 1915