The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-05-02

avenue All the NeSGSlue StfeeGS are blocked
and the elevated trains carried swarms up.
and down town to swell the crowds.
The police reserves were called
out to preserve order. Every
fire engine above Fourteenth street was
called out in the work Of extinction, but the
fremen fought against tremendous odds,
owing to the reslstless rus of the flames,
and because Of the conformation of the
ground in the locality, which is upon a
rugged slope from higher ground to the
Hudson river. The fire broks out in
the southeast corner of the Fairbanks re-
finery, where workmen were busy at the time,
setting up q lard-coolin g apparatus, when
the fire started-how, no one knows, prob
ably no one ever will know. Soaked in grease
as the old building was, it as aflame in an
instant. From the ground floor the fire
swept upward to the roof, almost with the
speed Of thought. The men OF work in
every story dropped their tools and ran to
save their lives. The staircases formed a
glowing chimney, throwing out fire through
every floor. The windows presented the
only means Of escape.
RsU CLOSE By FLAMES,
men flung themselves out by scores head
long and behind them burst out the flames.
now .ul6Iy W0I0 tuCI0 III Ou0 COulA l0l.
Those who came out were picked up and
carried away by their friends. Crying wives
and mothers crowded the police lines shout
ing for their husbands and sons or begging
for news Of them. The Fair
banks refine the old establishment
of the F. J. Wilcox company, stands upon
the water front between Fifty-ninth and six
tieth streets, occupying half Of a building
2OOx2OO feet, that filled out the block. The
refinery was in the south half. the Rossiter
stores for general merchandise on the north
side. A strong brick wall divided the build
ing in the middle. Upon this brick wall,
during q half-hour Of desperate effort,
the fremen based their hope of sue
cessful combat. The flames beat against it,
heated it red hot; other brick walls and the
roof fell in upon it, but it stood like a rock.
Anything save such a fire it would have re-
sisted, but flames fed by melted and flowing
lard burn iercely, and leap high. They
leaped above and around the sturdy barrier,
and reached across Sixtieth street and the
dock slip. Over rthere stood the fist and the
biggest of the
NoRM GRAIN ELEVATORS
of the New York Central railroad. It was
Elevator A, the construction of which cost
q UoOV,OOVs ~ NO E00AV ~
to ties flames that were blown toward it,
Once that caught fire there ould be no saw
ing Elvator B., 500 feet further up the river,
aud NO telling where the fire
would stop, for beyond were freight
sheds innumerable. Between the ele-
vators on the water front and Twelfth
avenue were first twenty seven railroad
tracks, which no fire engine could cross, and
next, the Union stock yards, o halt-mile Of
broad enclosure and pens, equally impass-
able. EVENT. q way could have been hewn
through the enclosures and the tracks the
line Of demarcation between the two was
o stone wall with q sudden descent OF
i've feet The tracks were that much. lower
than the yard. There was no way for q fire
engine to reach the elevators, except along
Sixtierh street, past the burning building,
and that was then almost impossible, and
soon was blocked entirely. Chief Shay saw
1t and led his men to q fight for very life to
save the elevators. He knew that even II
they did get their fire engines into the rail-
road grounds they would be Of little use, for
there was only q small six-inch water pipe
there, and that was pitiably insufficient He
rsE TELEaRApHED FOR THE FIRE BOATS,
tor the charity commissioners TWO boats,
and for the police boat patrol. The patrol
was, as usual. laid up because out Of repair,
but the others responded. They came down
with four or five tugs belonging to the rail-
road company, and put their pumps at work
to throw water on the threatened buildings:
Room every hose was playing from
some window in the root, the pump
ing works in the engine house
weresworklng to their utmost and q select
company of firemeu directed operations It
was all in vain. The tremendous heat from
the fire across the street dried and warped
the woodwork Of the big frame building.
Though 1t was sheathed with corrugated
iron and protected by slate. it shrivelled up
like withered leaves, the slate fell from Its
sidesin q red-hot rain, Q thin blue film OF
smoke rose from its roof and sides, then q
tiny wreath Of something darker curled from
one Of the dormer windows. q dull red light
showed behind it. Ashout went up, 3There
she goes and then came q burst from half q
dozen windows Ut once, and the building.
was on fire. The covering Of slate and iron
rolled Of In great cracking crusts, the
flames shot upward for hundreds Of feet.
and burning pieces Of material slid and flew
Ia all directions with vicious force. The
Rossiter stores still stood dark and with
CLOSED iron shntterA But the water thrown
BY the fremen sizzled and boiled when IT
touched them, betraying the burning heat
within. The northwest corner Of the wall
swayed q moment then II
FELL WITH A CRASH.
The falling wall released hundreds Of tons
d stores that rolled ont in . heap and filed
6lxtieth street. effectnally blocking It Two
engines had run the blockade Of The awful
heat and rot fl ON the railroad tracks. None