, 1884-09-27
HIT AGAIN !
Spokane Comes in for An
other Visitation.
Devastating Flames Mop Out a
Large Section Of the City.
Losses, Insurance, Scenes and Incl.
dents, Etc.

After a respite Of just three week,
our city has once more been vie,
tim to fire, and the site Of much val,
liable property Is now a blackpned
heap Of smoking ruins, while the
finger marks Of the destroying ele.
ment cOnspicuOuSly marks a large
number Of adjacent buildings. Al
7 A. NJ. Saturday las: the citizens
were made aware Of the threatened
calamity by the ringing Of the church
hell and the customary amount Of
lung expanding, and in a few mo-
ments crowds were rushing to the
scene, and night was commenced
against the spread Of the fire noble
in its unsPlfshnes and praisewOrthy
for the zeal shown by all classes.
When we reached the vicinity dense
black clouds of smoke were rolling
out Of every window, crack and
crevice Of the second story Of the
Rising Sun lOdging-hOuse, a large
twO-stOry frame building at the
southwest corner Of Sprague and
Mill streets, owned by L. Hender-
son and occupied by Mrs. Knox. At
that time a single stream Of water
would have extinguished the fire
or at least have confined it to one
building. However, there was no
water, no ladders, in fact not
the simplest cOntrivance to use to
check the blaze, and the entire at
tentiOn Of the crowd was turned to
saving the contents Of threatened
property. Men commenced at once
tearing down the Outhouses in the
rear Of the doomed building, for it
was evident that the entire corner
was lost. The old Wigwam and H.
c. Bells fruit and vegetable stand,
only temporary structures were lev
eled to the ground. The flames
hurst from the Rising Sun In one
gigantic mass and quickly siazed
upon the Occidental hotel, a hand
some twO-stOry frame fronting on
Howard street, and only built this
summer. Ready hands removed
the contents, but the building was
completely destroyed. From the
Occidental the flames spread to Sires'
saloon and a building owned by w.
b. Parks, occupied by Mrs. NJ. f.
Robinson as a millinery store, both
small buildings. This was the bOun-
dairy Of the fire on the north. Just
acrOss Sprague street was the
fine new twO-stOry building owned
by WitherspOOn 4 Kenney, which
Ignited by the heat, and in an in
stant 1t was a sheet Of fame, spread
ing to Mrs. +. L. Davies millinery
shop, that was also destroyed. In
the rear Of WitherspOOn 4 Kinney's
block Il VIM. Grifln's grocery store.
II was on fire score Of times, but
through the exertiOns Of a crowd Of
men the structure was saved, but in
terribly scOrched condition. The
whole attention Of our citizens was
turned to preventing the FIRE from
taking hold Of the solid row Of frames
facing on II verside avenue, the rear
OF which were In imminent danger
Of ignItlng. Here the struggle was
desperate. The heat was intense,
and almost more than human endur-
ance could stand, yet the brave boys
stuck to their post when hope seemed
almost gone, and by dilligent ap-
plicatiOn Of water succeeded In stay
ing the progress Of the fire in that
direction. In the meantime the heat
commenced telling on the buildings
on the east side Of Howard street.
Pitch OOzed out Of the boards, glass
burst, and the frame work charred
and smoked. Ready and willing
hands redOulled their efforts, and
though 1t looked for time as II
nothing would prevent the flames
from crossing the street, yet the
workers at last had the satisfaction
Of seeing the ruins Of the burning
buildings fall in, which reduced the
Eeat and announced all real danger
passed. Another gallant stand was
made at Grlffin's store. This build
ing was just opposite the Rising Sun
lodging house and in the rear Of the
twO-stOry frame above mentioned.
Its blackened and burnt appearance
shows how well the crowd worked.
The fire did not last hardly over an
hour, but In that time six buildings
were destroyed, three Of them large
twO-story structures, entailing a loss
Of upward Of $4,000, to say nothing
Of the minor losses on surrounding
property.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
1t Is hardly possible to arrive at
the full amount Of the loss. The FIRE
occurring In the day time, and at first
burning slowly, enabled the people
to remove much Of the goods frUm