Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-07
HE FlRe Al SPOKANE.
Further Pnrticulars-The Damage by the
(On1agratiOn.

lEy telegraph 10 tho Dspatch.l
SroEANr FAILS. ". r.. August G.--The
'ulf.- are now IN such condition that
somewhat fuller particulars of sunday
c0uhagratiou can be- giycu. The fire start
cd 100 quarter past o o'clock i. Nj. ul the
roof Of the lodging ON Railroad
avenue, the third door from Post street.
4 dead calm prevailed az the time and the
spectators supposed that the hrcmcn
Neauld .prpdily bring the flames under
control This could have been done If
better precautions bad been taken, but the
superintendent of the Water-works was
cut Of the city, aud for some reason
fhe mon iu charge failed To respond To the
call for more pressure. The heat created
"a current Of air and ln less than half an
hour mn entire block of frame shops were
euN,lOpei Do flames and the burning shlu-
giles and other debris filled the am, lgmting
several of the adjoining blocks Al the
same time the opposite block 10 that IN
which the fire originated, ma Whch STOOD
she Pacific Hotel one of the handsonesi
structures IN the Northwest, took IRE. II
was not 40 o'clock, and by that time high
wind prevailed from the southwest and 1t
WAS evident that the entire business por-
ZION OF the city was m danger. Mayor
Firth ordered that the buildings Zoe
blown up with giant powder 10 check
the spread of the fire. This order was
speedily pat into execution and the eNl lu-
,i0us nd1ed to the reign of terror. The
,,icture was weird. grand. and awful. As
block after block yielded 10 the demon
at destruction the Sky WAS overcast
with black clouds. 4 strong wind spraug
lip from the northeast. tanning she nalnes
uriously. while an upper current coniih-
ued 10 carry the burning embers lu the
opposite diDction. The. Grand Hg,iti
Washington Block. Eagle Block. Iuu
nlD.k. New Granite Block. the Gushing
building. Falls City Opera-Hou7e, Hyde
l..rh and all the banks. and, IN fact
,,.r. house FROM Railroad avenue
r.rth 20 the river and from LIN
colin street east 10 Washington street
with tho exception OF Few buildings
lu the northeast corner, were totally lie
firoycd. Meanwhile, sudden change in
the direction of the wind carried the hre
southward across Railroad avenue and de
stroyed the Northern Pacific passenger and
freight dcpots and several cars. Inc
freight depot was splendid structure ana
was filled to the roof with valuable mer-
,haudi-p. very little OF which was saved
The terrifying sArieks of "a dozen locomo-
fiyes mingled with the roar OF me
flames. the bursting of cartridges, the
booming If giant powder, the hoarse shouts
If men. and the piuiul ehrlcks
Of women and children. Looking up
ward the broad and mighty ryer OF flame
was seen against a jet-hlack sky. Occa-,
fionAly TWO opposing currents ot wind
met. causing a whirlwlnd of fire that
seemed 70 penetrate the clouds, perform
ing an sorts fantastic movements. In tins
manner the appalling monster held high
carnival until about 10 o'clock, when the
Howard street bridge over the river went
down. A boom of logs took IRE and
burned tor hours on the surface OF the
river. Many times flying pillars OF hre
covered the river, igniting the mammoth
lumber and hcurng-mills that hne ITS
banks, hut by heroic efforts Its career was
checked on the south side OF the stream.
looking backwards, however, the beholder
x,itu.sssd n scene Of desolatiou that was
fearful 10 contemplate. Fragments Of the
naked walls OF what were four hours before
MAGNIFICENT structures Of bnck ana granite
stoOd like grim sentinols over the surface
of a burning sea. All was devastation and
min The burned district embraces thirty
blocks besides the depot. The only Dick
houses left standing are the Crescent
Block and the American Theatre. Inc
tchools and churches, college, ana
hospital we're beyond the INES Oh
the burned district and were not lost. IL
is impOssihle al this writing 70 estimate
the loss with any degree OF accuracy, out II
will not fall short Of Sl0, 600 coo. with an IN
surance Of about one fourth OF that amount.
1 ne BANKS nave oVtobHVe NNi' PN--5 =.
tors and several have already opened i0r
business. The work of clearing away the
sL6igts has already begun, and the Work Oh
rebuilding will be also commenced AT once.
The iremen are blowing down dangerous
walls and q militia company " guarding
the burned district, while mounted ponce
patrol the entire city. The company WIN
be reinforced by a company from Walla-
Walla to-day. The City Council has
held q meeting aud discussed reso-
luton prohibiting the erecting OF wooden
buildings ia the burned district, ana mass
meeting OF oitizens sustained IL unani-
mously. IL will be passed At the regular
Wednesday meeting. Ihe Council has