The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-08-21
A CONFEDERATION.
4 Minnesota Town Loses One Million
Dollars Of Properly.
Almost Every Business House and Factory
N Ashes-She Washburn Opera-aOuss
and HiEH school Bail Ing Destroyed.

ST. PAUL, MINI, August 16.-The city of
Anoka, for the fourth time in its history,
has been fire-stricken. Shortly after two
O'Clock this morning an alarm was sound
ed and the fire department responded
promptly. The cause of the alarm was
found to be fire in the skating-rink of
Kinnes q Vandervelde, situated in the
rear of the Postoffice and High School
Buildings. Although the department was
quickly at work, it was soon evident that
the flames were beyond control,
and that the adjoining build
ings must go, and in few
moments the Campbell> Foote Brick Block,
an which the Post>office was situated, was
IN hames, followed almost simultaneously
Dy the appearance of fire in the High School
adjoining, and Dowdell Bros. restaurant.
The flames communicated to the elegant
new brick belonging to 81. L. Ticknor, and
from there across Second Avenue to II. s..
Plummer,s dry goods store, and across
Main street to q row of wooden structures
occupied by various branches of trade.
Up Second avenue, taking several resi-
dences and the Merchants Hotel, down Main
on the south side, destroying Plum
uier's dry goods store, Cutters dry
goods store, Ticknor & Co., drugs;
hyan, boots and shoes, and so on until the
river barred its course in this direction.
shis direction, appalling flames leaped from
the wooden buildings on the north side of
Main street and enveloped the handsome
and stately structure lately erected by W.
u. Wasburn, and in which were situated
the Anoka First National Bank and the
elegant Wasburn Opera-house. The whole
city seemed ablaze at once. Up and down
both sides of Main street, from Third
avenue to the river, and along both
sides of Second avenue, from
Van Buren, to Monroe street, the
pItAess flames swept irresistably. From
Washburn Block to the brick hardware
store of Putnam, Cheslea & Lindsay, and
the First National Bank to Bridge Square,
the fire speedily made its way. Thence
along Bridge Square on the east side,
sweeping away Daniels boot and shoe
store, Abear & Wicklund's, dry goods, the
Anoka Union Brick Block, Peters drugs
store, and thence across jackson street
diagonally to the great Lincoln
douring-mill and elevator, consuming
also, the smaller houring-mill near the
'bridge, two planning nails, one shingle dry>
kiln, lumber shed and office, all belong to
w. ID. Washburn & Co., the flames being
brought to q standstill a5 a lane ninety feet
from the mammoth Washburn saw and
shingle mills. From the point where the
nre communicated to the Lincoln Mills it
went eastward to the corner of Second
Avenue and jackson street, there joining
forces with the section which jumped Main
street, and tackled Jackson's Hotel and
stables, the blacksmith shop, engine>houss
and Jail, exhausting itself at the corner
of jackson street and Third Avenue.
That branch of the great coaflagration
which took its way south on Second Ave-
uue destroyed everything to Monroe street,
where it was brought under control. No
lives were lost and no very serious acci>
dents occurred, though it was a scene of
the widest and most uncomfortable con>
fusion. Men fell exhausted by heat and
smoke, while women tainted, appalled, by
the terrible visitation. The losses and i'm
surance can not be definitely ascertained
TOR several days, as many losers lost every
thing, papers and documents included. At
this time it is utterly impossible to more
than roughly approximate the great loss,
which is placed by the most conservative
at s., ,o00, 900 at least.