River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-02
DEADWOOD IN ASHES.
The Business Portion of tie Bl ack Hills De-
strOyed by Fire.

In the early morning of Sept. 26, Dead
wood was startled by the cry of fire
Flames were discovered in a bakery on
Sherman street near the old postoffice,
and before the fire company could arrive
were extending In every direction. A
brisk breeze set in and the
RED TONGUED DEMON
reached out for Chinatown. The widest
excitement prevailed. Business men
realized their perilous position, but de-
pended ON their supposed fire
proof cellars, built at the rear of their
stores, to protect their most valuable
goods. These were farce before the fiery
element, and crumbled to earth like
sand. The water works gave out and the
firemen were left unarmed. The removal
of goods was commenced, but precipitous
hills on every side barred this escape.
The few brick stores succumbed almost
as easily as the wooden shells. Teams
blockaded the streets and the
PANIC STRICKEN PEOPLE
rushed to and fro, wild With excitement.
The saving of goods was soon abandoned
and each man for his own life became the
MAXIM. In less than an hour the flames
had extended over twenty acres. All the
hotels had been burned and only
four business houses were left. The
court house, schools, churches and banks
were all burned. The only flrc-proofs left
are those of the Northwestern Stage and
Transportation company, Holstein Hill
debrand, CHEN, Evans, Kelly and Hard
ing, grocers.
THE CITY WAS SITUATED
in a narrow gulch, a quarter or half mile
wide, and all the business houses and
most of the dwellings, were on one and
two streets, packed closely together. But
few dwellings remain. Many are sleeping
tonight on the hills overlooking the de-
stroyed city, and many have gone to Fort
| Meade, where Gen. Sturgis is receiving the
| refugees. The loss viii not be less than
$3,000,000, as most of them had received
| their winter stock. About fifty firms
have ordered new stocks by telegraph
| day, and already where the fire is out the
| debris is being cleared away. No less
than 5000 people are left without shelter
and food. The supply of the surround
| ing cities will soon be exhausted and
great distress must follow The fire was
stopped at Chinatown by the blowing up
of buildings.
All along the course
TERRIFIC EXPLOSIONS
of gunpowder, petroleum, liquor, etc,
were of frequent occurrence and the
buildings were blown into atoms. The
hook and ladder apparatus and hose car
riage were the first things to burn, leav-
| ing but few feet of worthless hose with
which to battle against the devoring ele-
ment. The new water works were tried
at this fire for the first time, and
were put to their utmost capacity,
| with little success in subduing the
| flames, on account of the scarcity of
water. The hiilsides were almost
| SOLID SHEET OF FLAME,
| and water from the boiler ditch could
not be had. Otherwise considerable prop
erty would probably have been saved, as
the ditch ran almost directly through the
| worst spot The widest excitement pre-
| vailed on account of the furious force of
the flames, and people thought of but lit
| tie besides saving their own lives, hun
dreds escaping with only their night
| clothes Every team within miles of the
CITY was called into service to help save
| what could be got out. There are prob
ably about
| EIWO 1hOObAND hOObEllbSS
and many destitute. About 1875 build
ings, besides fifty or sixty dwelling
houses, were destroyed, and while it is
utterly impossible to get any definite fig
ures regarding the loss, well-posted bust
ness men place it from one and half to
two millions.
| THE NEWS AT ARMY HEADQUARTERS.
The news of the disastrous fire was
communicated to Gen. Terry oy Gen.
Sam. D. Sturgis, in the following manner:
| FORT MEADE. Sept. 20.
| Gen. Ruggles, St. Paul.
The following note has Just been re-
ceivea from Hon. Judge Moody, Dead
| wood:
Gen. Sturgis.
Please send all teams and modes of
conveyance you have, to take the people
| to Fit. Meade, for shelter. Nearly the
whole city is burnt.
j. G. MOODY, Judge.
Accordingly, am sending every posi-
BILE wagon and team we have, and will
afford the sufferers what shelter may lie
in our power. 1t may be necessary, also,
to provide many of them with rations.
s. d. STURGIs,
Colonel Seventh Cavalry