The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-08-22
SWEPT BIZ FIRE.

SWEPT bI E1hEs
The Business Portion Of the Town of
Anoka, Mimi, q Mass of Smoldering Ruins
Seventy Buildings Destroyed by Fire.
Causing Loss of 81, 100000.
ANoKA, Mimi, Aug. iS.-The business
portion of Anoka was swept away by fire
within three hours Saturday morning Sew
enty business houses. the opera-house, two
fouring-mills, an elevator, ETC., valued in
the aggregate at 81. 500, 900, were destroyed.
The fire originated in skating-rink
on Second avenue, and despite the
best efforts of the citizens and the depart
ment spread rapidly north and west, burn
ing every business house on the east side of
the river. The fire departments of Mime
apolis and st. Paul were telegraphed at
once for assistance, and both responded
with a steamer and crew, but, owing to
difficulty in getting a train for transporta-
tor, did not arrive until two hours later,
when they only prevented the spread of the
FIRE to the lumber mills and yards.
The first alarm was given by the watcfl-
man at 2:30 o'clock a. M, and before six
o'clock the city was in ruins.
After the skating rink, the first building
to burn was the feed-store of WeitZel 81
Greenwold; next the post-office and the
three story pressed brick building Of FL. l..
Ticknor were destroyed. Crossing Second
avenue, the dry.goods store of b. s. Plum
mer and the Herald building were quickly
consumed. Almost simultaneously the
buildings across Main street were ignited,
and within less than an hour six
entire blocks of buildings covering
ten acres, were in flames, making a ter
rible fire. The flames were carried across
Rum River, but were subdued after hard
fight. All that portion of the city, which
contains less than One-fourth of the busi-
ness portion, was saved. The heaviest loss
is that of w. d. Washbnrn. member of
Congress from this district His two -four.
ing mills, shingle-mill, Office, and three-
story brick, 1O1x50 feet, containing the OPP
era-house, banking Office, store, ETC.,
were burned, causing loss of $3.50, 1000,
with $3.50, 900 insurance.
The city loses its city hall and engine
house, and the iron bridge was damaged to
the extent of five hundred dollars Both
the telegraph and express Offices were de-
stroyed, but with small loss. The Erie
Telephone and Telegraph Company had
just put in telephone exchange, and will
lose about five hundred dollars The high
school building caught fire, but was saved.
The jackson House was the only hotel
burned. There is no question but the fire
was of incendiary origin.
The total insurance will overrun $500, 000
No casualties occurred. The citizens show
the best of grit, and lumber is already
being hauled to erect temporary buildings.
The post-o office and city offices have been
removed to the court house, and both news
papers will be issued promptly.
Anoka is one of the oldest cities in the
State, and contains to-day about six thou
sand inhabitants. 1t is located upon both
banks of the Rum River, about one
half mile from its junction with the Mis-
sissippi, and twenty-seven miles by rail
from st. Paul, on the Northern Pacific Rail-
way and the Fergus Falls division of the
Manitoba Railroad. The portion ofs the
city upon the eastern side of the river con-
tanned nearly all the business houses of the
city, and few cities of Minnesota contained
more fine or substantial buildings than
did .Anoka prior to the fire. The new
Opera House block. of St Louis pressed brick,
the double store three-story brick, upon the
opposite diagonal corner, recently built by
II. T. Tickner, and the more than usual
proportion of fine two-story brick stores,
gave the city an air of solidity,that was sad
| ly at variance with the havoc which one
sudden breath of the fire king wrought
| Years were required to build it, but three
| short hours worked its ruin.
| The scenes during the progress Of the
| flames were full of an awful sublimity and
| grandeur that filled the stoutest hearts with
| awe and terror, The horrible roar of the
| flames, the crash of falling buildings, the
hoarse shouts Of frantic men and
| the lurid sheets Of fire that filled
| the air and lowered mountain high,
| lighting up the scenes for miles around,
| all formed scene never to be forgotten if
once seen. The department, utterly para
| lyzed, turned it's attention to checking the
| spread of the flames toward the south, that
were creeping along the river bank, and
| were finally successful, aided by a souther-
| ly wind. The school-house on the corner of
| Second avenue and Monroe street, being
| isolated little from other buildings,
was saved, though badly scorched. Across
| the street, the Merchants Hotel and a
small building with it were also saved.
| The north side Of the block bounded by
| River street and the square was swept, but
here the limit was also reached, and by the
| time the department turned its attention to
| the yards of the WaShburn Mill Company's
saw-mill, the wind, which was mainly
| from the southeast, aided in the mat
| ter, and the northern limit was here made.
| Nearly six blocks of the heart of the city
| were gone and seventy buildings, the best
| and most valuable in the city, had fallen,
| and of the stocks of goods which the stores
and shops contained, scarcely handful re-
manned. 1t is to Anoka a far greater disas.
ter than the Chicago fire in 1871 was to that
city.