Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-10

apprised of the magnitude of the confiagration
by the heavy volumes of smoke which clouded
the sun and set the birds guessing as to
whether night had really come or whether the
mainsprinGof the planets had broken, allowing
the celestial apparatus to rure down. Mr..
Fife, with many of his neighb bors, came
TO the CITY, and were Joined on the roads by
hundreds. The country people poured into
town from every direction, and many of them
lent much-needed assistance IN rescuing PROD
cry and fighting the flames
The origin of the fire was due primarily to
-he strong instinct for cleanliness which in
flames the PittSburg housekeeper and renders
her name a synonym throughout the world for
all The housewlfely virtues. Colonel William
Diehl owned row Of frame bGildings the
southest corner OF Second and Ferry streets
Mrs. Scanlon, one of his tenants had been un-
able TO perform her weekly wash on Monday
owing TO the InClement weather, ana had put il
off from day to day until Thursday, April TO-
l645. She could stand the strain no longer and
as the weather was clear and the wind. while
strong, was of good drying quality, the house.
VIE determined to wash right then and there.
The Result of a Late Wash.
Mrs. Scanlon tuiit a nice little bonfire In the
backyard and put her wash Kettle on to boil
while she went into the house to eat dinner
and nerve herself for the conflict with her arch
enemy-Dirt. The wind was in sportive mood
that day. and thinking to have little fun with
its brother element. fire, carelsssly tossed the
flaming embers hithcr and thither. One Of
these frebrands was carried Onto the roof of
an icehoCse Ferry street. The flames en-
Tcloped this building and Colonel Diehrs
tenement, then crossed Second street and
swallowed up Colonel James Woods cotton
factory. The Third Presbyterian Church at
the corner of Ferry and Third streets, was
tOon in hames and here the fremen made
stubborn night, hoping to stem the sea of fire
the east. In this they were successful, but
in the meantime the flames had spread in the
other directions.
The flames spread, overlapping all obstacles,
until they embraced a district bounded by Mar
Ike; street, Grant street Diamond street and
the Monongahela river, and had extended
city and known as hensngton. Il extended
one nile from Its starting point, destroying
more than 70 squares containing LOO dwell
lnGs. Az O'Clock in the evening the fire was
over, II had burned itself out.
Thousands Homeless and Penniless.
As result of the fire thousands were seek
ing shelter. Many had removed their possess
siOns only TO be burned in the streets or pll-
fered by gang of miscreants who took adyan-
taEs of the disaster which had overtsken their
fellow-beings. The remainder of the city and
Allegheny was overruu by those who were
homeless and many took refuge in the country
Bat two deaths we're positively known to have
been caused by the fire-Samuel Kingston
whose remains were found in CELLAR on Second
street, two doors from his own residence, and
Mrs Msglone, whose charred bones were dis
covered in the cellar on the corner Of Secord
ami Grant streets.
ne total s1SS was estimated At The
total insurance was puE at SS7OOOO Among the
large losers were: Allen & Grant. 50, 600; George
Beale. $500; Bank of Pi;tsburg, SIS, 900; Bank of
tAo United States SO OC0: John ID. Davis Sl5OOO:
William Eichhaum, IS, 900; James Gray 81 500;
John Horner, 5000; Hailman, Jennings & Co,
Sl0.G0O; Christian lhmsen, $1,000; Lorenz
Sterling 4 Co.. $4,000; McCurdy &
joomis, $4,000; Alex. McClurg, SiOO 600;
James Woods, SS50lO: George Anschutz,
fl5,gO5; Associate Reformed Church, 5000;
MOnnnsahela House, s95, ,OO0 George
4. R7yarC, Si2.GG0; Thomas Bakewell, $4,000:
". Hays, SO 900; j. Eidd g. Co, SIS 600; King
& Holmes SiLWN; }. Z. Smart $4,000: J. W
y Eoodw5l Sjh. 900; Williams & Dilworth, $4,000
Western University. $1,000. and J. Freeman &
O., SlSooG.
Raising Relief Funds.
Measures were taken for the relief of the
sufferers. The Legislature voted $4,000 and
ordered that no State or county taxes should
BE- levied or coec;ed from the losers for the
years IS4S-I-S. Subscriptions were taken up.
and Sl's,S73 40 raised, every State in the Union
contributing
Pittsbur=ers, as is their won't som recovered
from the stunning blow, and set to work TO re-
paIT the damage Three months after the fire
uad started, while the ruins were yet smolder-
ing In many places, over 500 buildings many of
rHsm far superior in size and character to those
uuTapG. had been built in the ruined district
u,hers were under way. ana still others were