Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-04-30
THE OSHKOSH FLEE.
Nearly fWO Million Dollars Worth of
Property DestrOyed-HHndreds OF
Families Homeless and
In Want.
Over Two Hundred Residences Burned
-Plunder by DesperadOes - Re.
lief for the Sufferers
Insurance.
PARTICULARS RECEIVED AT CHICAGO.

PARTICULARS RECEIVED AT CHICAGO.
CHICAGO, April 20.-The following
facts in regard to the fire at Oshkosh
yesterday afternoon are cleaned from
specials to the morning papers: The fire
commenced at the corner of Pine and
Marion streets, and spread east and
northeast through Hancock, Pearl, War.
rem and High streets, destroying the de-
not of the st, Panl railroad, ana pro-
eoeded to Main street where the prlnci-
pal business houses are located, and eX-
tending on the north line of the above
limits southessteIly across Fifth, Wan
goo and Otter streets to Ceape, the
south line being the river, with the eX-
ception of block or two about the foot
Of Main street. The building in which
the fire originated was the ssw-mill of
Morgan 81 Bros, on the north side OF the
river. 1t was dry as tinder and filed
with most combustible material. The
heat was SO intense that the firemen
were unable to approach sufficiently
near to render any service. The neigh
boring lumber-piles fell an easy prey to
the flames, and millions Of feet OF sea-
soned lumber were consumed. A dozen
other saw and shingle mills and lum-
ber plies yielded to the fury Of the fire.
A brisk wind famed the flames, which
were whetted by the small frame houses
Of the mill employees. Few OF the fami-
lies saved any of their effects. The fire.
men, for time, fought bravely in the
face Of the terrible odds, to stay the pro-
gress of the fire, but were driven back
step by step. One after another of the
business houses on Main street were
licked up by the insatiate fire and crum-
bled into masses Of shSpeless ruins.
From Algona to Ceape street were To-
Gated all OF the principal dry good
stores, banks, hotels and newspaper
offices. All Of them went down before
the resistless hurricane. Merchants had
time to save but little, for their facilities
for the transportation of goods to place
of safety were limited. A few succeeded
in carrying several loads of their most
valuable wares away from the track of
the fire, but by far the greatest number
lost their all. The Beckwith house and
the Adams house, two hotels Of large
finely furnished, with all the
modern Improvements, were destroyed.
Nothing worth mentioning was
saved. The loss on the former will be
about $40, 1000, and on the latter $32, ,00O
The newspaper and telegraph offices
shared the fate Of the surrounding build
ings. The Northwestern Office, owned
by Allen & Hicks, was probably the
most valuable. The Northwestern is a
daily paper, and fitted up with all the
facilities for its publication and for the
execution Of job printing. Nothing was
saved. The loss will be about $4,000,
The Times, sprightly weekly, published
by d. w. Fernandez, had also all the |
-. al
loss will reach about $4,000. Three men |
are reported killed by the falling walls,
but their names could not be ascertained |
IN the confusion. RumOrs of further loss |
IF life were prevalent, but were not |
up to q late hour last |
night. Over two hundred residences, !
arge and small, were burned, and
over one hundred stores, hotels |
and banks; also the operah ouse, a |
structure, costing nearly |
S100, 600, and the finest in Wisconsin, |
outside of Milwaukee. All these were |
destroyed. The losses are variously es-
timated. The most moderate estimate |
Is $3.50, 600, and the highest is 81, 900, ,000 |
The city is in the utmost confusion. |
Hundreds of families are left homeless; |
women and children are lying about the |
streets or roaming around in search of |
,ome place Of shelter. The heavens |
we're lit with lurid glare of fire, which, |
Ip to late hour last night, was burning |
iercely. Gangs of desperadoes were
about, seeking plunder. They |
succeeded in inspiring the greatest ter
'or, and citizens organized for mutual
as the police were pOwerless
70 suppress them or to quiet the fears Of
he people. The flames began to yield |
% the persistent efforts Of the hremen
and citizens at nine o'clock. 1t is an
.icipated that the insurance companies |
will withdraw their patronage from the
,ity, they having threatened this step
asst summer. Arrangements will be
made to organize the newspaper offices
II the unburnt district. Telegraph COM
was severed at an early date
If the fire, and though repeated attempts
we're made to renew it, the only operator
who succeeded in keeping his circuit
open was the Northwestern railroad. The
ollowing are some of the losses sus-
aimed at Oshkosh by the Chicago insur-
ance agencies: Globe, $500; Mercantile,
s11 600; Northwestern National, of Mil
Taukee, $4,000; Penn, of Philadelphia,
$50, 600; Traders, Chicago, $25, 900; Fire
of Philadelphia, and
American Fire, Of the same city, esti-
mated at $2O,O 600 to $25, 900; Phoenix, Of
Hartford, $4,000, and Phenix, of
SIS, 900. The heaviest losses
were sustained by the Hartford COM
oaDy, Of Hartford-S50,OO0.
FROM MILWAUKEE,.
MILWAUKEE, April 29.-Telegraphic
with Oshkosh is almost |
entirely cut of. A few dispatches have
reached here from adjacent stations.
About one-third of the buildings in the
;ity were burned. One estimate places
he loss at two million dollars. All the
newspaper offices were burned. The |
Ddily Northeastern got out paper at |
ten O'Clock. There are start
ing reports OF the depredations of
hieves all over the city. The citizens
If Fond du Lac had q meeting this