The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-08-08
SPOKANE is IN RUINS.
Forty Blocks of The Business POr-
ton of That Prosperous City
Burned.
Several Lives Believed to Have
Been LOst-LOss Estimated
ut $t4,OOO,OOO.

,,
the fire rapidly spread to the adjoining frame
building and was soon beyond control The
flames Jumped across the street to the Russ
house and Pacific hotel. By this time n
strong wind had sprung up, and it was evil
dent that the city was doomed. The fire
spread with fearful rapldity, and the 1remen
were pOwrrless. Attempts were made to
check the fire by blowing up buildings in It's
path but tnev were useless. From the Pa
cttic hotel the tire jumped across First street
TO the frame buildings in the next block.
Soon it touched the heart OF the city. A
block Of two-stOrv rriCk buildings on
Riverside avenue next went. From here the
fire communicated with the magnificent
HYDE block, four story building, taking IN
the whole clock between Mill ana Howard
streets ON Riverside. The fire leAped across
Howard street, and in a few minutes the
block between Howard and Stevens was re-
duceu to ashes The next to succumb was
the large Tull block, from there sweeping the
solid block of four story bricks, intending
the pOStOttice between Stevens and Wash
iugton Here the fire burned out from lack
OF m4ttrlaI From the point of beginning
the fire took another dire elton, leaplng
across Sprague street to the opera house
block From !, the flames leaped across
Riverside ayeIue to Browns bank. Then
both sides Of the avenue were III flames
The block between Post and Mill was quickly
licked up including the Grand hotel. From
here the fire communicated to the adjoining
block on the right. Here was the Frankfort
block. the largest building in the city, cost
ing $3.50 900. 1t wlthstood the fire for some
time but finally succumbed. The Arlington
hotel was next to go. The building was
soon enveIopeu in flames, when
MAN WAS SEEN TO JUMP
from the second story window. He arose
and started 10 run down Howard street,
when he was overcome by heat and fell.
Several people, including your correspond
emit rushed to his assistance and carried him
to a place of safety He was a pitiabIe sight,
being literally roasted, and his skin peelng
OF all over his body. His name Is Charles
DAVIS OF Billings. Mont. He died at noon
From the Arlington the fire Travelled north
and consumed the block between Howard,
Main. Front and Stevens, burning east as Tar
as the latter street, where vacant Iots
checked further progress in that direction.
Everything in q nOrtherIy direction, lncIuu-
ing the Northern Pacific express, Union
block and Windsor hotel, was soon mass OF
flames The river prevented the hre doing
further DAMAGE and was the means or saving
the big Touring and lumber mills. by this
time in the short space OF three hours, the
fire had consumed everything in lts path, re-
duClng to ashes the entire business portion OF
the once beautiful city. The only business
block left standing is the Crescent building
which was saved by means of tearing down
intervening buildings. Owing TO ther apldlIJ
with which the fire spread scarcely anything
was saved The city council met this morn
ing and appointed committee on reneI
Provisions will be sent for and the needy sup
piled free. The big pumps were not CON
nected, and at the time Of the fire there wa
scarcely any pressure. Had there been the
fire would have been easily gotten under
control The militia are out in force, ant
all persons without pass are forbidden II
the burnt district Five out of the sever
banks are doing business to-day i'll the Ores
cent block Everybody wears cheerful air
and all bear their losses bravely. Many bust
ness men have already slgnitied their Inten
ton to rebuild.
EVERY BUSINESS HOUSE
the city. including eight banks, ali tn
hotels but One-alI magnificent structures
except the Crescent block and every newspa
per save the Review, were burned out In
burned district includes all that part OF tn
city from the Northern Pacific railway to th
river and from Lincoln TO Washington
streets. Several persons are known to haV
persisted and several more were injured b.
leaning from windows. A woman who's
name is unknown leaped from the secon
story of the Pacific hotel and was killed. Th
fire spread with such astonishing raDid1t
that it is believed that many were shut OF
from ESCAPED before they were eve
aware of their danger. The Norther
Pacific railroad is probably the heavies
loser, the magnificent new freight warehous
being destroyed Their loss, includin
freight burned, will reach about 81 600, OOC
Appeals for relief have been sent out, an
Portland, Seattle, Tacoma and several neigh
boring towns have already responded Tn
) fire department was stationed on the othe
side of the stream, and prevented flynn
timbers from setting fire TO the building
there. Only few dwellings were destroyed
as the residence portion OF the city was nc
= visited by the fire. Spokane was one of tn
most prominent of the many new cities
the infant State of Washington. Situated @
the line of the Northern Pacific railroa'
close to the Cmur d'Aene mining region, tt
city has been the site for many large indu
y trial establishments, such as smelters an
= kindred enterprises. Expensive public ed
fees had also been recently erected, and tt
q. population was easily supporting two pro
II porous daily papers.
}. THE BUSINESS DISTRICT
b., of Spokane was in a strip between the NOrtl
= ern Pacific railroad tracks and the SpOkar
river This strip was five spares across ar
extended about seven squares in length.
was solidly built up with brick and stor
t, structures, the cost of which varied frol
}. 1928. 900 to 1925, 900. Ten banking house
five hotels, the opera house and many whole
i sale establishments dong a business est
le mated at 100000 each were situate
within the district described. The nOpul
t. tion of Spokane is about twenty thousan
c. The city possessed excellent water work
modelled on the Holly system, with capaci
of 5000, 600 gallons daily. There were
H. fire engines, but by the system in use five
II, six good-sized streams of water could
C. concentrated upon any block in case of fiji
r. The fire department. was a volunteer on
X, AS to insurance, the best information here
Is that no large amounts were carried. Bull
t. ings that cost $50 900 to $40, 900 are know
0; to have had but 5000 to $4,000 1nsu
W ance.
X THE CHIEF LOSSES,
'l- as nearly as can beinferred, are as follows:
; Holley, Mason, Marks & Co., wholesale
.; hardware. .......................-.. 1925, o.
s. The Great Eastern Wholesale and Re-
tail Dry Goods house ................ 1000
The White House, wholesale and retail
dry goods: OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. SO,O
. Lowenburg Bros. Observation-Disclosures. 1000
m Benham d. Gritf1ths, wholesale grocers. 400
~ Mason. Smith & Co, grocers. .......... 400
2, Pacific hotel Observation-Disclosures. 400
"a Grand hotel. Observation-Disclosures. 400
e, Windsor hotel Observation-Disclosures. $50
- HYDE block Observation-Disclosures. $50
Il Washington block. ..................... $50
< Crescent ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 300
n Cannon block. Observation-Disclosures. 300
" Moore block ......................... 300
" First National bank block. ............. $50
3, Wolverton block. Observation-Disclosures, $50
e, Frankfort block. ...................:. 1855
Tull block. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $50
Much comment has been excited here
the extraordinary series which has be
h formed by conaagrations in 'Washingtc
C First came the fearful disaster TO Seattle, t