The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-08-09
A SECOND SEATTLE.
The Spokane Falls Fire Proves
as Disastrous as That of Its
Neighbour.
Over Thirty Blocks Burned. With an
Estimated Loss of About
100000.
An Iowa Town Narrowly Escapes Des'
tructiOn-Cyclones In Indiana
and Kansas.

SPOKANE FALLS, WASH, Aug. 6.-The
entire business portion of the city, with
the exception of one mill, was destroyed
by the fire Sunday night. The loss will
reach 81, 900 900. The blaze started in a
lodging house on Railway avenue, at
o'clock p. NJ, and burned until morning.
A large number of frame buildings and
several grain elevators were near the
lodging house, and soon after the fire
broke out they were ablaze.
A strong wind was blowing toward
the city at the time, and the blaze was
soon beyond the control of the firemen.
The fire leaped from street to street and
nothing could be done but let the flames
have their own way until they reached
the river and then endeavor to prevent
the fire from reaching the buildings on
the opposite side. The flames swept
through the city and one business block
after another was consumed, everything
being burned to the waters edge.
The fire department was stationed on
the other side of the stream and prevent
ed flying timbers from setting fire to the
buildings there.
Only a few dwellings were destroyed,
as the residence portion of the city was
not visited by the fire.
The burned district includes all that
part of the city from the Northern Pa
cific railway to the river and from Lin
coin to Washington street. Several per-
sons are known to have persisted, and
several more were injured by leaping
from windows.
Charles Davis of Chicago, guest at
the Arlington house, was awakened by
flames bursting through the door of his
room on the third floor. He jumped
from the window and was
sHoCKINGLY MANGLED
and died in few minutes. A woman,
whose name 10 unknown leaped from
the second story of the Pacific hotel and
was killed. The fire spread with such
astonishing rapidity that it is believed
many were shut off from escape before
they were even aware of their danger. A
dozen large buildings were blown up with
giant powder by the orders of the mayor
but even this proved futile. The North
ern Pacific railroad is probably the heav-
lest loser, the magnificent new freight
warehouse being destroyed. Their loss,
Including freight burned, will reach
about $I,00O,00O. All provisions and
supplies were burned, and there will
necessarily be much suffering for several
days. Appeals for help have been sent
out, and Portland, Seattle, Tacoma and
several-neighboring towns have already
responded.
Spokane was one of the most promi-
nent of of the many new cities in the
infant state of Washington. Situated on
the line of the Northern Pacific railroad,
close to the COeur dAlene mining region
the city has been the site for many
large Industrial establishments, such as
smelters and kindred enterprises. Ex-
pensive public edifices had also been
recently erected, and the population was
easily supporting two prosperous daily
papers.
THE BUSINESS DISTRICT
of Spokane was in strip between the
Northern Pacific railroad tracks and the
Spokane river. This strip was five
squares across and extended about seven
squares in length. 1t was solidly built
up with brick and stone structures, the
cost of which varied from $25, 900 to
$125, 900. Ten banking houses, five no.
tells, the opera house, and many whole.
sale establishments doing business esti
mated at $500, 900 each were situated
within the district described. The pop.
ulation of Spokane is about 10000. The
city possessed excellent water works
modelled on the Holly system, with a ca.
pacity of 1900, 900 gallons daily. There
were no fire engines, but by the system
in use five or six good-sized streams OF
water could he concentrated IInOn anv