Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-09-12
ml1cHELL's CONFEDERATION,

MtICHELl'S CONFEDERATION.
One Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand
Dollars Worth of Property Destroyed
Only About One-Third Insured.
Mitchell Kepablcan,. 10th.
1t has come. The terrible fire fiend
whose advent has been almost miracu.
lously delayed for months and years has
at last invaded Mitchell with fury that
would seem to have been intensified
through being SO long defrauded of bis
prey. This morning the main street of
Mitchell presents scene of ruin that is
appalling and sickening.
-Four OF our finest business blocks are
but smonldering wrecks. and thousands
of dollars worth of valuable merchandise
nave gone up in flame and smoke. It
is Is, difficult at this hour to give anything
Ike complete description OF the awful
scenes of last night or to destermipe
with any degree of accuracy the extent
of the calamity that has overtaken cur
city.
OThe dread alarm OF fire was sounded
at about 8 o'clock last night, and an
excited crowd quickly rushed in the
direction indicated by those who were
first on the ecene. The flames were
found to be issuing from the stable of
L.. y. Gale, IN the rear OF his drug store,
and in close proximity to the same. How
the tire originated is not known, and but
few had time to inquire. as it spread so
rapidly that it soon became evident that
other buildings must go. And they did.
The rear end of Gales store caught in q
few minutes, and it was at once plainly
manifest to the anxious witnesses that it
was doomed. The wind was in the
north, and sufficient breeze was stirring
to awaken the serious apprehension
that every building in the block would
be consumed, and merchants at once
commenced to move out their goods into
the street. The next building adjoining
Gales on the north was P. Z. McGovern's S
general mercantile store. As both these
buildings were Of frame they burned
like tlnder, and were consumed in few
minutes. None of Gales stock except
the most valuable jewelry was saved.
McGovern succeeded in getting most OF
his goods IN the street, but they will
doubtless be found in q very damaged
condition. The next building on the
north was the bank of Dakota, and
being constructed of Gladstone, with
iron roof and no windows on the side
towards the fire, bravely withstood the
intense heat, and successfully prevented
the spread Of the fire in that direction
On the south side were three email
frames, the first occupied by Macarthur
u Mehler as barber shop, and the sec
ond by Mr.. Terpening as harness shor
and the third by Indra g. Bingeheimel
as meat market. Most o.
the contents in each wer,
saved, and desperate effor
vas made to tear down and remove tht
structures 30 as to save the adjoining
buildings. but the rapid spread of The
flames defeated this purpose, and they
were quickly enveloped. The fine bricl
block of NJ. Il. Rowley, occupied by
Shauer d Co., with q large stock O
clothing was the next to succumb, anG
the large hardware store of Letcher &
Co. followed suit almost instantly. Yer,
little eftolt had been made to save the
goods in either of these buildings, il
being the general hope at the commence
ment that they would not burn. In tht
upper story of the first named building
was the law Office of Baird e. Whittlesey
and the elegantly furnished photograph
gallery of Fox u Wiltse. Nothing o
value was saved by either. Drs. Moore
and Bracy, who had an office up stair.
in the Letcher block, succeeded in re
moving most of their furniture. Th
rear up stairs rooms in this block wer,
occupied by private families, but wheth
er their effects were consumed or not ",
have not learned.
It was only through the most heroi
exertions of the fremen and citizen
that the flames were prevented from
) crossing Second street, and firing til,
First National bank block. Had no
this been averted another entire blocl
would have been consumed.
+ The saving of the bank of Dakota OF
the north also checked the spread of tn
flames in that direction. Ii it had burn
ed, the furniture store of Brokaw 4
Vandevoort, Marston's cigar store, th
Capital Office, Stern Bros clothin,
store, Winsor & Mentzer's law Office an,
the Republican must have followed il
quick succession. From all of these
with the exception OF the later, the-e en-
tire contents were removed and pile
promiscuously in the street at sale dis
tance.
The hook and lader company Tough
the fire demon with determinatid an
! herolsm that is worthy of more substar
tial reward than the words of CONNER
dation and praise SO universally express.
ed. 1t is almost marvellous that the
succeeded in accomplishing SO muc
with such limited facilities. The wan
? of some adequate FIRE protection was
: apparent that the Republican is only n
iterating the popularity expressed sent
ment IN asserting that it is disgrace t
! the city that SO little has been done
b this direction heretore. The few paltr
thousands that some efficient system
= fire protection would have cost is mi
= cradle plttance in comparison with tn
:, destruction that it might easily hay
/, averted last night.
The loss can as yet be scarcely est
> mated, but cannot fall far short of Sl25
= 900. with insurance covering probabl
:. one-third of this amount. Letcher
J. Co. are probably the heaviest loser
/. Their hardware stock was valued at S2s
4 M