The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-08-06
Spokane Falls Holocaust!
Every Business Block Destroyed, Ex-
cepting one.
Property of the Value of S15, 900, 900
Consumed.
Many Lives LOst--One Man Literally
Roasted Alive!

The Spokane Fire.
HELENA, Aug. 5.-[Spceial to the LEAD
ER.] Another great fire took place in
Spokane Falls this morning.
Telegraphic business from Washington
and Oregon will be delayed in coLse-
quence.
SPOKANE FALLS, Aug. 5.-The Spokane
Falls fire leaves the city without any bus
iness houses.
SPOKANE FALLS, Special, Aug. 5, 8 a. IN.
Western Union have established tenn
porary Office on lumber pile just out
side of the city.
The whole business portion Of the city
is burned to the ground; the Northern
Pacific depot, freight house and Offices
burned. There is not a grocery or pro-
vision store or a clothing house in the
city. The banks are all destroyed.
PORTLAND, Ore, Aug. 5.-All tele-
graphic communication with Spokane
Falls was lost at o'clock. All we know
is that the Northern Pacific depot and
two blocks north were burned and that
another block was then in flames. The
wind is tanning the fire toward the bust
ness part of the city. Inquiry for infor-
nation is coming from all directions.
SPOKANE FALLS, Aug. 5.-The whole
business portion of Spokane Falls is
burned. The passenger and freight de-
pots and the offices of the Northern Pa
cific were also deftroyed. The Western
Union telegraph company, whose Offices
burned early in the night, save few in
them on wood pile, sent off dispatches
until the fire forced them to abandon
even this refuge. The company arc now
arranging for temporary Office near
the railroad. Telegraphic communion
tion will probably not be re-established
before noon. Forty blocks burned.
SPOKANE FALLS, q. H., Aug. 5.--This
city is in deplorable condition. A fire
broke out at O'clock last evening in a
frame building near the Northern Pacific
depot and spread rapidly under the intiu-
ence of brisk wind, which increased in
force every hour. The fire soon reached
the business part Of the town and carried
everything before it. The first large
building to go was the Pacific House,
next followed the Russ House, large
frame structure that burned like tirder.
The Northern Pacific depots and offices
were destroyed among the first. A num-
Der of cars loaded with freight and fill"
ed warehouse were also consumed. The
Northern Pacific loss is estimated at
$1,0OO,OOO. All the hotels are burned ex-
cept one and all the newspaper Offices ex-
cept the Review, which lay to one side OF
the path Of the fire. Every business
house In the city except the Crescent
block was destroyed. The eight banks
of the town were wiped :cut, though the
vaults proved fire proof. Early in the
night the water supply, weak at the start
dwindled to almost nothing and the fire
men lost all control of the flames.
Many buildings We're blown up with
giant powder by order Of Mayor Furth
but even this did not stay the progress
of the devouring elements.
The flames made q clean sweep from
the railroad to the river, and were only
stopped by the water. All the flour and
lumber mills in the city We're saved. All
provisions and supplies except flour were
consumed.
SPOKANE FALLS, Aug. 5.-The fire
started in q large franc building opposite
the Northern Pacific depot and under
the influence Of the high winds which
scattered burning embers and started
fires in half dozen different blocks al
once. The whole district was burned
over in three hours. The water suppl,
proved wholly inadequate even for {
small fire and tho tiremen and citizens
became panic stricken: Several people
were known to have perished in ths
flames and several more were injured by
leaping from windows.
Charles Davis of Chicago, agent at thu
Arlington house, was awakened by tht
flames bursting through the door Of hi
room in the third story and jumped from
the window. Hc was shockingly man
gled and died in few minutes. A wo
man, whose name is unknown, leapee
from the second story ofthe Pacific hote
and was killed
The fire spread with such astonishin!
rapidity that it is believed many wer'
shut off from escape before they wer'
even aware of their danger.
A dozen large buildings were blow
up with giant powder by the order OF tn
mayor. This proved futile
The Northern Pacific is probably til
heaviest loser. The passenger depot an
magnificent new freight warehouse ar
being destroyed. Their loss includin
the freight that burned, will reach abou
*1,000,O00.
All provisions and supplies were burn
|, ed and these will necessarily be muc
suffering for several days. Appeals fe
help have been sent out to Portland, tt
coma aud several neighboring sma
towns have already responded. The fiji
, extinguished itself at the river for lac
of material. All the -four and lumbs
mills were saved.
The population of Spokane Falls is e