Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-05-11
RACINE ROASTED.
Terrible CONFEDERATION In the second
city OF Wisconsin Nearly One quar-
ter OF the City Laid In Ashes
THE PARTICULARS,

About midnight of Friday, sparks
from one of the steamboats, at the
docks in Racine, set the docks on fire,
and before any effective opposition to
the spread of the flames could be made
the fire was beyond control. Within a
very few minutes the dock property
and salt sheds were burned, and the
fire had taken hold of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul elevator, which
was a vast heap of ashes almost before
it could be realized that the work of
destruction was begun. BY this time
the population of the city had been
aroused, and turned out en- n,asse to as
sist in the attempts to stay the flames,
or to witness the terrible work Of the
destroying element. Before the elc-
vator was consumed the flames mad
taken hold of the lumber piles
in the extensive yard of Kelley
K Co., and at once the con-
flagration became awful beyond de-
scription. The entire yard was swept
ont of existence in few minutes, and
almost as quickly the lumber yard Of
Jones, Knapp K Co. was completely
licked up. still the flames spread, and
the appalled, citizens saw that their
beautiful city was doomed to destruc-
ton. Quicker even than this dispatch
could be written a space of four blocks
Was burned over.
In the meantime the mayor of Mil
waukee had been telegraphed to for aid,
and at l: 80 A. NJ, three engines arrived
on flat cars. Later, some engines came
from Chicago. The Goodrich ware
house, in which the fire originated. is
located in the original plat of the city,
on the lake front, south of and lying on
tie side of the harbor. The fire from
this point worked west to the river, the
intervening space being filled with lum-
Der piles, which, under n fresh breeze,
scattered fire brands in every direction,
great pieces of plank ablaze being car
ried through the air and lodged on
the roofs of buildings across the riv-
er in what is known rs Canada. The
Racine Silver Plate Company's works
on the west end Of the burned dis.
trict easily fell victim to the flames.
The fire also spread among the lumbe,
wards west from the place of origin
and almost instantly block after block
of the well seasoned lumber became
enveloped in flames, and acre after
acre Of valuable property was trans
formed AS if by magic into a cracking
and
Kissing SEA OF FIRE,
while the people, helpless to stay its
progress, endured the tortures of in
ferno. The people on the south side of
Second street, the first thoroughfare
north of the Goodrich warehouse began
to remove their effects and the noise
and confusion, the despairng shouts of
the men, the breaking of glass ware,
windows, added to the roar of the
abyss of flame which shed wierd
light over the scene, made perfect
pandemonium. II soon became evil
dent that not only the buildings which
were being dismantled must fall prey
to the devouring element, but that the
flames would spread still farther south
and the confusion spread from block
to block until the whole space from
Second stree. up TO Fourth street pre-
scented a picture of
THE wILDEsT CONFUSION.
People were seen hurrying in all direc-
tons with great bundles Of merchan-
disc, while the streets we've rendered
almost impossible. The flames final
ly reached the business blocks on Main
street, the long row of wooden bull
dings on the northern extremity being
quickly licked out, only giving the
flames an impetus to leap up and en-
velop the large four story brick bull
ding occupied by this ST. Paul railroad
company as the general offices of the
Racine & Southwestern Division, the
flames rolling around it and seemingly
lifting it from its foundation and letting
it fall shapeless mass Of runs.
The district covered by the fire
reaches over seven blocks, four of
them business blocks, and the others
occupied by large lumber firms, mills,
etc. The fire was brought under con
troll early in the morning, and the Chi
cago engines returned home at eight
o'clock, and the Milwaukee engines at
noon. The city fire department con-
tinues to food the ruins, ana no further
outbreak is feared. 1t is impossible to
get at the true figures of losses and in
surance, but the morning papers have
greatly over estimated the former. The
loss will foot up trifle less than mill
ion dollars. The insurance will proba-
bly, be about two-fifths. The heaviest
loosers are Jonas, Knapp & CO., lum-
Der; Kelly, Weeks * Co, lumber; Geo.
S. Kuson, lumber; st. Paul Railway,
large elevator; Miller & Co, boot and
ahoe factory; Racine Silver Plate Co. (;
Hersog e. Roberts, Touring mill; + Ib-
ing, furniture; S. Raymond, Congress
Hall Hotel; st. Paul Railway, build
ing and Offices, the finest block in the
city. Minor losses, aside from the above,
are numerous, being Of boarding houses
stores, and shops of every nature.
Creamery Rules in Iowa.