Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-06
A S3O,OOO,OOO BLAZE
AT SPOKANE IN THE NEW STATE OF
WASHINGTON.
Forty BUSINESS Blocks Destroyed, In
Gliding all the Public Buildings and
the southern Pacific Depot.
IBy tolerrapn % Tho pispatch.l

SAN FRANcTsco. August "a special from
Spokane Falls to the ELduriTifr says hfe
broke out in lodging-house on Railroad
avenue at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
and is rapidly spreading and now burning
tiercelv. The fire seems 10 be beyond tho
control Of the fremen, and 10 "a thought
the entire business portion Of the city VIII
be burned. Already two blocks Of bu1-
ness-hOuscs have been DESTROYED.
down TO S6.OO0.G00.
The property loss by the Spokane Fails
fire last night is estimated at $500 900 10y
the Coast R,rieir, an insurance journal pub
lished Ia tins city. The same paper esti-.
mates the total insurance a. S2.3jg. 800 Of
which 81 SAC. 900 - held by companies
having agencies IN this city. The heaviest
loser is tue Auglo-Nevada-S5 600. Ice
other heavy losers are: The EtDa. S60.000;
Liverpool and London and Globe. $50, 900;
London aud Northern and Queen. 5000;
Commercial Union. $4,000 Royal Nor
wich Union and Queen. $1,000; Ph@nM
of London. sol 900. irussian National,
$4,000: Hartford, S72,oW; London and
Lancashire. -45. 900: German-Anerlcan.
$4,000. North British and Mercantile,
$4,000; Home Mutual, $1,000.
COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF.
PoR1LASD. OaE., August .5.-An COM
municatiOn with Spokane Fails was OF AT
7.05 last evening. All that Is known Is that
the Northern Pacific depot aud two blocks
north had then burned and the Pacific
Hotel and another block were then IN
flames The wind was tanning the tire to-
wards the business portion Ot the citN. IN
Quiries for information are coming from
all directions. Everything is being done
that Is possible ,Owards getting connec-
| ton.
HELENA. Mont. August Later in
! formation showed that forty business
blocks had fallen prey TO the flames 1t
I was definitely aScertaincd hat the North
eru Pacific depot and all the public uld-
/ ings u the city were carried away. The
first estimate received placed the loss at
$50 600. 900 Spokane was one of the most
prominent OF the new cities in the infant
/ State Of Washington. Situated on the me
of the Northern Pacific, close 20 the COur
/ ~ Acne mining region. the city has been
! the site for many large industrial estao-
| lishmeuts. such rs smelters and kindred
enterprises. Expensive public edliices
/ bad 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 Pdcifc
/ TRACK, and Spokane river This strip was
+ five squares across and extended about
! seven splares IN length. II Was salld'N
/ built up with brick and stone structures,
/ the cost OF which varied from sz5.O0O 20
/ Sl1J 900. Ten UankIug-houses i've hotels,
/ the opera-hou@e, and many wholesale rs
/ adjustments dong business estimated at
/ half million dollars each were situated
/ within the district described. The e~t q
mate If the loss Of so, O0O.U0 is believed
I here to he exaggerated. Half that amount
/ is though. 10 be nearer the actual figures,
assuming that the reported complete de-
I struct.On Of the city IS correct. The popu-
/ latiDn Of the city Is about 5000.
The city possessed an excellent water
works. modelled after the Holly sv.trm.
| with a capacity of 100000 gallons daIy.
| There were no iire-engines. but by the $751;.
| ten IN use five or six gOod-siZed streams Of
water could hc concentrated upon any
! block in ease of FIRE. The frc department
wa, volunteer one. As % the insurance
| the best information here IS that no large
amounts were carried. The Western Union
! telegraph Office was destroyed, aud com-
munlcatIOu is precMious.
SPOKANE FALLs, ". r., August O.
! Twenty-Five blocks We're reduced 20
ashes. The estimated loss Is sli,O0OCp.
| Owing 10 a lack of water the fire quickly
/ spread. and was soon beyond control. and 10
| was evident the city Wa, doomed. The ilame5
]
/ men were powerlcss. Attempts were
made 10 check the fire by blowing mp
! buildings in its path but n was useless.
From the Pacific Hotel the ire swept
across First street ~ the frame dwellings
! in the next block. and soon 1t reached
! the heart of the city. 4 block
Of tw0-story brick dwellings on
every side avenue was easily carried away.
/ From here the fire communicated ~ the
] Ill D. F..n frf 4
| ing. taking IN the whole square between
/ Mil and Howard streets on Riverside ave.
nue. The fire next leapcd across Howard
! street, and IN few minutes the block De-
| tween Howard and Stevens streets was a
/ mass of red-hOt ashes. ] he next structure
/ To succumb was the large Tut block
| From there the cOnfagTatIon went whlrllng
through solid blocks of tour-story brics
! buildings, including First street between
Stevens and Washington streets. At TIM
point the ire burned out from Lack OF
material.
From the place Of its origin the fire md
meanwhile taken another direction, leap
ingacrOss Sprague 10 the 0pera-hou,e
! and thence over Riverside avenue &.
| Browns Bank; then both siies of tho
avenue were I'M flames. The buildings be-
! tween Post and N.ll streets We're quickly
/ licked up. including the Grand Hotel. From
here the waves Of flame poured into the al
| Joining square on the right containing the
| Frankfort Block. the largest building li
| the city. The Frankfort cost 500 900. II
withstood the fire for some time, but finally
disappeared. The Arlington Hotel Was en
velOped In flames. Suddenly man Wa
seen TO Jump from the secOnd-stOry WIN
dow. lie arose and started TO run down How
ard street. but was overcome by the heat
and fell Several people rushed % hls AS
sistance and carried him toa place Of safety
He was pitiable sight, having nliterall}
roasted alive, the skin peollng on all over
his body. The unfortunate mans name
was Charles Davis. lie diedat noon to-day
Northward was the direction taken by tht
fire from the Arlington. II consumed ia,
block between Howard, Maine, Front. and
Stevens streets, burning east rs tar as the
latter thOrOug hiare. when a vacant lot
checked it, further progress IN that dircc'
I ton. Everything in the nOrtherly dircc
ton. including the Northern Pacific TX
press Office. the Union block, and windsor
Hotel, was soon a mass OF hames.
The river prevented the fire doing fur
sher damage and was the means of saving
all the big Touring and lumber-mills.
Three hours sulficed 10 complete the aw-
/ ful destruction. The only business block
! left standing in the city is the Crescent
building, which was saved by means OF
tearing down the intervening buildings
Owing to the rapidity with which the fire
spread scarcely anything was saved. Pro
visions are scarce and Will only last short
time. The City Council met this morn
ing and appointed committee on re
lief. II IL decided that provisions
should be sent for and the needy
supplied free. The superintendent Of th'
city water-works was denounced by th'
council for neglecting his duty, he belnc
away at the time Of the FIRE. The bil
pumps we're not connected, and the Tesul
was there was scarcely any pressure. Hao
the contrary been the case the fire wOule
have been easily gotten under control
| The militia is out in force. and all persons
without passes are forbidden TO enter tn
! burned district. Five out Of the seven bank
destroyed were again doing business TO
day, all being located in the Crescent Block
the only business structure left standing
Notwithstanding the extent of the ca
lamity. the people are cheerful and bea
their losses bravely Many business. mel
have already signlhed their intention L
rebuild.