The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-09
FORTY ACRES OF FIRE.
A Great Conhagration Threatens
Destruction to Cleveland
Forty aeres of Flame Surges and Kisses
Through the Cuyahoga Flats.
The Loss Estimated Variously at from
$1,000, 900 to 81, ZOO, ooo--- Reports
of Injury to Firemen---A
Night of Disaster.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Sept. "a great con-
flagration which ragged in the Cuyahoga flats
all Sunday night was choked at O'Clock IN
the morning The loss is roughly estimated
at s., $780, 900 The fire started in the lumber
yards of Woods, Perry a. Co. at : O'Clock
Sunday evening, and spread with lightning
rapiity. The fire department responded
promptly, but was powerless to check the
flames The entire flats, which were
covered with railroad depots, freight
! ouses, lumber yards, and numerous other
manufacturing concerns, lay in the grasp of
the flames The wind shifted at $50 and in
creased in velocity. A solid sheet of flame
carried the fire across the river The large
oil and candle works of George A. Stanley
and Sherwin & Williams paint works
were quickly destroyed. About ten acres
of lumber and frame buildings were
aflame at one time, and huge clouds of
smoke, thickly studded with blazing cinders,
We're blown by the changing wind for miles,
causing intense excitement lest the myriads
of sparks should kindle fires in every direc-
ton
At 0 o'clock the shops and buildings from
Scranton avenue to Woods, Perry & Co. IS
planning mill on Carter street, were on fire.
and it looked as though nothing could save
| them.
At II o'clock, when the fire was at its full
| height, the scene was grand, the fire being
| surrounded on all sides by hills, the view was
| magnificent and the flames covering nearly
| ten acres, were viewed by & great many
thousand people Occasionally piles of lum-
Der would be seen to topple and fall with a
crash, sending up volumes of flames hundreds
of feet high When the fire crossed the river
west of Seneca street it looked as
though that portion of the city situated be-
tween the burning district and the lake. in
Guiding greater part of the business portion
of the city, was doomed, but a strong lake
breeze came up and changed the course OF
the fire, and the burning buildings on the
north side of ths river were soon put
| out. W. A. Heinsohn states that
he was on the roof of
the Stanley iron works when
the roof fell in, and that man was
carried down with it and persisted in the
flames. HeiDsohn says other witnesses OBJ
served the accident. Fifteen minutes after
the fire department at Youngstown received
the alarm, an engine was on fiat car, bound
for this city at the rate Of mile minute.
They plainly saw the reflection fifty miles
from Cleveland 1t is reported that large
number of firemen are more or less injured.
Throughout the night the flames ragged
with undated fury Hundreds of thousands
viewed the grand spectacle. The firemeI
fought desperately, but were beaten back,
half smothered by the dense smoke and
terrific heat. At o'clock steamers arrived
from Tolsdo Youngstown, Columbus, and
oSier Ohio cities This outside assistance
encouraged the local department. and des-
perate efforts were made to check the
further spread of the flames. The water
was so filthy that several of the engines got
clogged, and occasionally one of them was
compelled to suspend work.
Shortly before O'Clock in the morning the
fire was completely under control The Cleve
land, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis
and New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio rail
way embankment stopped the westward
progress of the flames. The New York
Pennsylvania & Ohio freight depot and
Sherwin, Williams & Co., paints, were saved
by superhuman efforts
1t was an awful night in Cleveland. Ths
whole city was red with the glow of flames
Acres of livid, binding light lighted up the
heavens. The river, running the gauntlet
of the flames, looked like stream of blaz
ing metal The puny efforts of the fire de
partment to fight the confagration wert
pitiful
At midnight the fire-bells in the city rang
out the alarm They called every member
of the Ohio national guards in the city to the
armory in Long street This was done by
order of President Bayne, of the council, il
the absence of the mayor. The militia weiv
soon in arms, ready to act as ssntiRels ant
guards in case Superior street, with all it
wealth, should be seriously threatened.
A large number of firemen were iniu -