Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-06
Complete Destruction.
RACES Through the Business
Part of Spokane Falls.
THIRTY BLOCKS LAID IN ASHES.
The Loss Estimated at from Seven to Ten
Million Dollars, with About
$2,300,000 Insurance.

Fire Department Poweriess and the
ing to Burn-Heavy Loss of Life Re-
| ported.
SPOKANE FALLS, W. T., Aug. 6.-The en-
tire bus ness part of this city, covering more
than thirty blocks, was wiped out Sunday
by fire as completely as a similar quarter at
Seattle was recently destroyed Absolutely
nothing was saved, and the loss is estimated
at from 100000 to $4,000, 900 So COM
until 2:40 o'clock yesterday morning that
the first dispatch was sent out from the i'm
provised telegraph office giving meager de-
tails of the awful catastrophe. 1t was the
same old story of high wind, wooden build
ings dry as tinder insufficient water works
and demoralized firemen. Fifteen minutes
after the first start every fireman knew
nothing could save the business quarter. The
men worked well, but it was a hopeless
battle, and the flames burned until they
reached the river. The heat was so great
that the few buildings supposed to be fire.
proof went down like the others, and scarcely
checked for moment the roar of the flames,
| which could be heard for miles
Origin of the Confiasration.
The fire started in lodging house near
the railway station soon after D. m. Sun
day, and spread with great rapidity The
city has far outgrown its waterworks, and
the pressure in the mains was so light that
little could be done to check the flames In
half an hour an entire block was in flames.
! A heavy wind sprang up and added to the
danger, carrying sparks far away and set
ting fire to other buildings. The wind stead
| lily increased in strength as the night wore
on, and famed the flames to intense heat
| The fireman lost all control of the blaze,
which swept everything before it until it
reached the river bank, where it stopped for
want of material on which to feed
| The Flames Have Their Own Way.
The fire leaped from street to street Moth
ing could be done but to allow the flames to
have their own way until they reached the
| river. Then the firemen worked to prevent
the flames from reaching 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
prevented the flying cinders from setting fire
to buildings there. Only few dwellings
were destroyed, as the residence portion Of
the city was not visited by the fire.
Giant Powder No Use.
| When it was seen that the firemen were
powerless the mayor ordered buildings to be
blown up with giant powder, and about a
dozen large buildings and small ones were
so destroyed, but without much effect on the
fire. Every business house in the city, in
| GLIDING eight banks all the hotels but one,
all the magnificent structures except the
Crescent block. every newspaper office in the
| city except The Review, is burned The
burned district include all that part OF the
| city from the Northern Pacific railway to
the river, and from Lincoln to Washington
streets, embracing over thirty blocks.
| A Number of Fatalities.
So rapid was the spread of the flames that
| il is believed many were caught while trying
10 save their property; but great is the
confusion that no definite particulars can be
learned. 1t is known that number of peo-
pie lost their lives and more than n dozen
were badly hurt by leaping from the win
dows of tall buildings Charles Davis, of
Chicago, a guest at the Arlington Hotel was
awakened by the flames burning through the
|
jumped from a window and was shockingly
mangled. He died in a few minutes. A
woman, name unknown, leaped from the
second story of the Pacific Hotel andl was
killed. An unknown man was shot by an
| exploding cartridge and several other fatal
| tiles occurred, but the names of the victims
| are unknown.
| Facts About the City.
Although the ground burned over is not SO
extensive as at Seattle. yet the business
buildings were much more costly and the
loss will consequently be very heavy. as a
great number carried only light insurance.
When Spokane Falls began to be a railroad
center, about sixteen months ago, shrewd
capitalists imme lately Put in large sums for
fine business buildings, with the result that
the city was built up in finer style than any
| on the coast, with the exception of ssn Fra~.
CISCO, Portland and Los Angeles. There
were a dozen handsome brick blocks that
cost 100000 each, and many buildings
that ranged in value from $50 900 to $780,
600, Eastern visitors who saw the finely
paved streets, the large plate glass show win
dows, electric lights motor and electric rail
ways, declared Spokane was the most like a
metropolitan city of any place in the far
northwest
| The Principal Losses.
The chief losses, as nearly as can be
learned from reports, were the following
Holley, Maso, Masks & Co, wholesale hard
ware, $l25, 600; The Great Eastern. whole
sale and retail dry goods, 500, 900; Benham
& Griffith, wholesale grocers, $50 900; Ma
son, Smith q Co, $40, 900; Pacific hotel
$40, 900; Grand Hotel, $4,000; Windsor no
tel, SIS, 900; Hyde block, $4,000; Washing
ton block, S65, 900; Cannon block, SO, 600
Crescent block, $50, 900; Moore block, $50, 900
First National bank block s225, 900; Wolver
ton block, $4,000; Frankfort block, Sl25,
900; Tull block. $4,000. Estimates of losse.
range from 81 0J0, 900 to $50, O0O, 900 but con
sentative men place the loss at $40, 000, 900.
The City Without Food.
As all the provisions and supplies were
burned, there will be much suffering fol-
several days, till relief comes from neighbor
ing places Appeals for help were sent t
Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, and several othei
towns, and hearty responses received There
| were 500 business firms and corporations il
Spokane, most of which suffered heavy los
by the fire
Amount of Insurance.
The Coast Review an insurance journal o
San Francisco estimates the total insurance
at g., 3S9, 800, of which ST. so, 700 is held by
| companies having agencies in that city, an,
$49e, 800 by Oregon, Seattle and various east
ern companies not represented there.
Racing News Shut on.
New YORK, Aug. 6-Communication b
wire to New York and all over the countr-
will be stopped at Monmouth Park on an,
after to-day on all race days. 1t is allege,
that the pool rooms interfere to large ex
| tent with the attendance at the track A