Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-05
SWEPT BY FIRE.

SWEPT BY FIRE.
Tho Business Portion of tho Town OF
Anoka, Mimi, u Mass of Smoldcri"g Ruins
Seventy Buildings Destroyed by Fire.
Causing a Loss of S1,OOO,OOO.
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 III
the aggregate at 81, 500, 600, were destroyed.
The fire originated in a 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 sac OF
the river. The fire departments OF Minnie
apolis and st. Paul were telegrapheo az
once for assistance, and both responded
with a steamer and crew, but, owing to
difficulty in getting a train for transporta-
ton, 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 watch
man at $3.50 O'Clock a. M, ana before SIX
O'Clock the city was in ruins.
After the skating rink, the first building
to burn was the feed-store of Weitzel y
Greenwood; next the post-office and the
three-story pressed-brick building OF IL. l..
Ticknor were destroyed. Crossing Second
avenue, the %dry-goods store of H.. S. PLUMB
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
riblc fire. The flames were carried across
Rum River, but were subdued after a hard
fight. All that portion of the city, which
contains less than one-fourth of the bust
ness portion, was saved. The heaviest loss
is that of w. d. Washburn. member of
Congress from this district. His two flour.
ing mills, a shingle-mill, office, and a three
story brick, l0lX50 feet, containing the OPP
era-house, a banking office, store, ETC.,
were burned, causing a loss of $3.50, 600,
with $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 Eric
Telephone and Telegraph Company had
just put in a telephone exchange, and will
loso about five hundred dollars. 1eIhe 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, 900.
No casualties occurred. The citizens show
the best of grit, and lumber is already
being hauled to erect temporary buildings.
The post-of1ice and city offices lave been
removed to the courthouse, and both news
papers will be issued promptly.
Anoka is one Of the oldest cities in tho
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 tho
| Manitoba Railroad. The portion of. tho
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. l.. 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 stDutest 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 q scene never to be forgotten if
once seen. The department, utterly para
lyzed, turned its attention to checking the
| spread OF the flames toward the south, that
were creeping along the river bank. and
We're finally successful, aided by a souther.
ly wind. The school-house on the corner OF
Second avenue and Monroe street, being
isolated a 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 it's 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 a handful re-
manned. 1t is to Anoka a far greater disas.
ter than the Chicago fire in 1871 was to that