Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-02-18
Especial to the NEWS Buperr.I
Terrible Conn.gration at Ipswich

witch the thriving young municipality
situated on the G. N. w. II. r. was
visited by one of the most destructive
fires in the annals of history. One that
it will take years to recover from.
About IL o'clock, the citizens residing
on West Liddle and North Huntington
streets. were aroused from their quiet
slumbers by the sharp ringing of the
fire bell and the wild, frantic cry of
Fire! Fire! The Patterson house is burn
ing! Hundreds of citizens rushed to the
Patterson house only to see the rear of
that fine edifice enveloped IN flames.
The most heart-rending cries were
heard from the sixth story. Three
men who were recognized as Leslie,
Richards and Mcfarland of Elmo,
were seen ut one of the windows in
their night clothes, loudly shouting for
help. Servant girls rushed frantically
through the halls and apartments of
the seventh story. screaming and
shrieking in awful anticipation of their
fate. Guests rushed pellmell through
the corridors, down the stairs to the
streets. only too glad to escape with
their lives. The flames rapidly spread
around to the front of tho building and
were fast climbing to the top. 1t was
an awful moment and it seemed that
all OF the occupants of the upper stories
would surely perish. A happy thought
struck the three men from Elmo. They
were seen tearing sheir bedding into
strips and making rope out of it. The
rope was soon finished and it was fas-
tened to the window frame and one end
let down, but horrors! it did not reach
further than to the third story. What
was to be done, they knew not. and
the expression of their faces lit up by
the awful light Of the conflagration,
was fearful to behold. 1t was time
that required quick action or all would
be lost. A man named Seeley who was
in the crowd below. lay down on the
sidewalk and shouted to the men to
slide down on the rope and fall on him.
His command was instantly obeyed
and all three OF the men reached the
ground without sustaining any injury;
barring few bruises produced by the
recoil. But the poor servant girls, can
nothing be done to save themp Yes,
help is near. Gus Nye is seen running
in the direction OF the hotel with a
blanket in his arms, he holds it out and
calls to the girls to jump. They do so,
and soon they are all landed in safety.
On the side of the hotel next to the
railroad, scenes of equally desperate
character were being enacted. At one
window woman appeared and seemed
to hesitate before taking the fatal
plunge. Finally she swung off and
shot down, but caught on telegraph
wire. Conductor Sweet who was in the
crowd, not to be surpassed by any one
in bravery, took himself up a Autograph
pole and although he travelled con-
siderable number of miles before he
reached the wire, succeeded in rescuing
the lady from her ungraceful and per-
ilOus position. From another window,
suspended by a long drovers whip, was
seen a man named Birkett. He was
going through all the performances OF
the ballet dancer and was shouting "By
Gar. Hi cant old hon much longer"
A man named Stephens from Cuba
City, ran up to the side of the building
and drawing out of his pocket list of
the monthly shipments from his station,
began running them up until they
reached the hog buyer who was quick
to take advantage of the chance to slide
down in safety. But up to this time
nothing had been seen of Mr.. Patter-
son the proprietor, and the people be-
gan to groan and cry: "Pa tterson, Pat
terson. Oh where is Patterson" A
sonorous tone from the rear of the
wreck called their attention and they
saw IN the act Of crawling out from be-
meath q pile of ruins, the object Of their
solicitude, Mr.. Patterson. He, was
covered with smoke, was considerably
bruised and held in his hands all that
he had succeeded in saving from the
wreck. A five dollar bill and Gray's
Galena ''curiosities. He was badly
done up but managed TO say that it was
by the most heroic conduct he had
saved the money and that sooner than
have lost the ..curiosities,n he would
have persisted with them. After de-
vouriDg the Patterson house the fire
rushed along and licked up at one
sweep twenty cars of corn from Scran-
ton, Iowa. Further on it struck the
lumber yard and swallowed up 100000
feet of mahogany, which was
shipped in 10 be used for the Platte
vile fair. 1t kept on and attacked the
Bratton theater, and had it not been
for the bravery and daring of Hook
and Ladder man named Dawson who
blew the fire off in the direction Of the
lake. that fine building would have
succumbed to the flames. The Gill
opera house was threatened with des-
tructiOn but was saved by the gener.
Gus application of water from Engieer
McConnell's lengine. The fire swept
along until it struck the lake when it
vanished. The heat was so intense in
some parts of the city that the rails on
the elevated road were twisted cut of
shape. The fire was scarcely over be-
fore relief committee was organized
and contributions poured in rapidly.
Conductor Sweet was made chairman
and headed the list with barrel of
crackers and cheese. Conductor Tom
Larkin gave twenty dollars and bar
rel of cranberries and took charge of
the wounded. conveying them to Ca
lena free of charge. The Elmo men
gave seventeen rounds of Goldfish and
cracker rations. Messrs. Birkett and