The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-08-08
SPOKANE IS IN RUINS.
Forty Blocks of The Business POr-
tiOn of That Prosperous City
Burned.
Several Lives Believed to Have
Been LOst-LOss Estimated
at S14,OOO,OOO.

avenue The fire department was on the
scene quickly, but owing to a lack of water
the fire rapidly spread to the adjoining frame
building and was soon beyond control The
flames jumped across the street to the Russ
house and Pacific hotel. By this time
strong wind had sprung up, and 1t was evil
dent that the city was doomed The fire
spread with fearful rapidiJy, and the hremen
were powerlesS Attempts were made to
check the fire by blowing up buildings in Its
path but they were useless. From the Pa
cific hotel the fire jumped across First street
to the frame buildings in the next block
Soon it touched the heart OF the city
block of two story brick buildings on
Riverside avenue next went From here the
! fire communicated with the magnificent
Hyde block four story building, taking In
the whole block between Mill ana Howard
streets on Riverside The fire leaped across
! Howard street, and in few minutes the
block between Howard and Stevens was re-
6uced to ashes. The next to succumb was
the large Tull block, from there sweeping the
solid block of four-story bricks, including
the postotfice, between Stevens ana Wasn-
ington, Here the fire burned out from lack
of material From the point of beginning
the fire took another dire ction, leaping
/ ASN0S
block From i; the flames leaped across
Riverside averue to Browns bank linen
both sides of the avenue were in flames.
The block between Post and Mill was quickly
licked up, including the Grand hotel From
here the fire communicated to the adjoining
block on the right. Here was the Frankfort
block, the largest building in the city, cost
ing $3.50, 600 1t withstood the fire for some
ARLINGTON
hotel was next to 60. The building was
soon enveloped in flames, when
MAN WAS SEEN TO JUMP
from the second story window. He arose
and started TO run down Howard street,
when he was overcome by heat and fell
Several people, including your correspond
ent. rushed to his assistance and carried him
to place of safety. He was pitiabIe sight
being literally roasted, and his skin peer1ng
off all over his body His name is Charles
Davis of Billings. Mont He died at noon
From the Arlington the fire Travelled north
and consumed the block between Howard
Main Front and Stevens, burning east as tal
as the latter street, where vacant lots
checked further progress in that direction
Everything in a northerly direction, 1nclud
ing the Northern Pacific express, Union
block and Windsor hotel, was soon mass o.
flames The river prevented the fire doing
further DAMAGE and was the means OF saving
the big Touring and lumber mills. BY this
time in the short space of three hours, the
fire had consumed everything in lts pain, re-
ducing to ashes the entire business portion o.
the once beautiful city. The only business
block left standing Is the Crescent bullolng
which was saved by means Of tearing dowL
intervening buildings. Owing to the raploltJ
with which the fire spread scarcely anything
was saved. The city council met this morn
ing and appointed a committee on renet
Provisions will be sent for and the needy sup
piled free. The big pumps were not con
nected. and at the time Of the fire there wa
scarcely any pressure. Had there been tn
fire would have been easily gotten unde
control The militia are. out in force, ant
all persons without pass are forbidden II
the burnt district Five out of the sever
banks are doing business to-day i'll the Cres
cent block. Everybody wears cheerful air
and all bear their losses bravely. Many busi
ness men have already slgnitied their lnten
ton to rebuild.
EVERY BUSINESS HOUSE
the city, including eight banks, all tn
hotels but one-all magnificent structures
except the Crescent block and every newspa
per save the Review, were burned out IN
burned district includes all that part OF tn
CITY from the Northern Pacific railway to tn
river and from Lincoln to Washington
: streets Several persons are known to haV
perished and several more were injured b,
leaping from windows. A woman who's
name is unknown leaped from the secon
! story of the Pacific hotel and was killed Th
+ fire spread with such astonishing rapld1t
that it is believed that many were shut o1
from escaped before they were eve
aware of their danger. The Norther
Pacific railroad is probably the heavies
loser, the magnificent new freight warehous
being destroyed. Their loss, includin
freight burned, will reach about 81 ,OOO, ,OOC
t Appeals for relief have been sent out, an
t Portland, Seattle, Tacoma and several neigh
l. boring towns have already responded. Th
s fire department was stationed on the othe
side of the stream, and prevented fyin
r, timbers from setting fire to the building
. there Only few dwellings were destroyed
/, as the residence portion of the city was nc
l. visited by the fire. Spokane was one Of th
most prominent of the many new cities
the infant State of Washington Situated O
the line of the Northern Pacific RAILROAD
close to the Coeur d'Alene mining region, tt
city has been the site for many large indu
J. trial establishments, such as smelters an
> kindred enterprisea Expensive public ed
} fees had also been recently erected, and IL
C, population was easily supporting two pro
n porous daily papers.
- THE BUSINESS DISTRICT
D. of Spokane was in strip between the Nortl
v. ern Pacific railroad tracks and the Spokar
river. This strip was five spares across an
extended about seven squares in length.
p was soltdly built up with brick and stor
t, structures, the cost of which varied frol
o. $25.OOO to 1925, 900. Ten banking house
2 five hotels, the opera house and many whole
IL sale establishments doing q business est
ne mated at S500,0O0 each were situate
l. within the district described. The popul
t. tion of Spokane is about twenty thousan
c. The city possessed excellent water work
modelled on the Holly system, with capaci
of 1000, 900 gallons daily. There were 1
n, fire engines but by the system in use five
n, six good-sized streams Of water could
&C. concentrated upon any block in case of fiji
r The fire department. was volunteer on
X, AS to insurance, the best information here
is that no large amounts were carried. Bull
It. ings that cost 800, 900 to SAC, 900 are know
0; to have had but $4,000 to SIC, 1000 insu
w ance.
rk THE CHIEF LOSSES,
oi, as nearly as can be Entered, are as follows;
3 3. Holley, Mason, Marks G. Co., wholesale
.; hardware NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1926, ,O
tail Dry Goods house, .........,...':. 1000
The White House, wholesale and retail
dry goods. .-.............-.. SO,O
. Lowenburg Bros. s........................ 1000
m Benham 6E Grif1ths, wholesale grocers. 400
- Mason. Smith d Co., 9rocers. .......... 400
=; Pacific hotel 400
W Grand hotel. ..........................,,. 400
re, Windsor hotel ...,.........,...,....,.. $50
35 Hyde block Observation-Disclosures. $50
d. Washington block. Observation-Disclosures. $50
K Crescent t.........,,.,.,,...,...,.., 300
II Cannon bloch. ......,..........,..,...,. 200
~ ~ Moore block. 800
w. First National bank block. ............. $50
-s, Woverton block k......................, $50
re, Frankfort block. 1850
Tull block ,.,,,.,,...,...,........,, .75.0
Much Comment has been excited here
/, theG extraordinary series which has be
~ formed By ccnAagrations in iWashingtC
&c FIRST came the fearful disaster TO Seattle, I