The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-11-16
MILLIONS IN ASHES.
Milwaukee, Wis.,, Swept Over by
q Terrible COnfiagratiOn.
Twenty-Five Blocks Laid Waste
by the Fierce Flames.

Milwaukee, Wis, has been visited by q
great confagration which did millions Of
dollars worth OF damage and was the most
serious fire in the West since this great Chi
cago conaagratiou. The fire started at $50
o'clock in the evening in the Union Oil Com
pany's store on East Water street, and soon
threatened to destroy the entire Wholesale
business section of Milwaukee, east Of the Mil
waukee River. below Huron street. For an
hour the Fire Department struggled bravely
with the elements which were famed by q
gale that was blowing at the rate Of thirty
six miles an hour. 49,.
Chief Foley kept the fire con6nei to one
block on East Water street until q o'clock,
when it got away from him and Ieaped
across the street and began rapid march
cutting down in short order the stores Of =.
Dohmen g. Co., wholesale drugs; M. Bloch,
wholesale liquor; Bub & Kipp's seven-story
furniture factory; Roundy, Peckham &
Co., wholesale grocerss Jacob Wellauer g.
Co., wholesale grocers, johnson Brothers
branch of the American Biscuit Company,
and the National Distiiling Company.
At Soclock the flames had crossed Broad
way, between Buffalo and Detroit streets,
then advancing to Milwaukee street. At
s:l5 the flames had reached Jefferson street,
three squares from where it broke out, and
began burning private residences.
The course Of the fire changed at Sis
o'clock, and it soon seemed likely to consume
the territory between Broadway and Jeffer-
SON streets to the east and west branch OF
the Milwaukee River The fire reached the
river. and the big Angus Smith grain eleva-
tors were next to fall.
The Fire Department was powefless to
stay its progress. Not only was the fire ad-
vancing with the wind on its mission Of de-
structiop, but it commencei to back up at
the point it began, where there was no
means Of staying its progress. >
The freight yards OF the Chicago and
Northwest Roads were reached, and whole
trains Of cars loaded with merchandise, live
stock, and grain were soon burning.
An appeal for help was telegraphed to
Chicago, and Chief Sweenie replied that re-
Inducements would be in Milwaukee as soon
as steam could get them there. In half an
hour several Chicago companies were on
their way there.
Several fires in other parts Of the city
broke out, but there were no engines to re-
spond. The entire lower part of the Third
Ward, which is inhabitei largely by poor
Irish families, was next devastated. About
300 cottages were destroyed, and the occu-
pants were wandering in the streets, loudly
famenting their loss. Alarms were coming
In every few minutes from parts OF the city
widely separated, and it was thought that
frebugs were helping in the work of destruc-
ton.
The fine residence Of L. F. Hodges.
member Of the Board at Trade, at Ninth
and Cedar streets, two miles from the fire
district, was destroyed. An alarm was also
rung in from the House of Correction.
Up to 8 O'Clock only two fatalities had
been reported. One fireman, it was learned,
was killed and a woman suffocated.
The gas works caught fire, and frequent
explosions occurred that shook the whole
city. The lights then began to 60 out over
large part of the city. The department
vance Of the hames and several buildings
were blown up.
Many Of the scenes Of the great fire OF
1871 in Chicago were re-enacted. The dyna-
mite explosions, the leaping flames, and the
crumbling walls added to the terror Of tho
homeless Third Warders. A report came
from the life-saving station that four OF its
crew, who came up Broadway to lend assis-
tance to the Fire Department, had been
buried by falling wall at Weisel & Vilterss
machine shops.
A buplar passed down Broadway at Q
o'clock. calling together members Of the
Lipht-Horse Squadron and Fourth Battalion
to assist the police IN guarding property.
The first help from other cities came in the
shape of one engine from Racine, Wis, and
one from Waukesha. Wis. Not a gaslight was
burning In the city at 10 o'clock, and some
portions of the city, where there were no
electric lights, were in total darkness.
Up to IL o'clock the fire had lapped up
T.. - fay
west by the north branch Of the Milwaukee
River. on the east by the lake, and on the
south by the harbor branch Of the river
TWENTY-FIVE solid blocks, five Of which were
occupied by Wholesale houseA factories, dis
tilleries, ETC., and the rest b. residences.
This did not include the yards OF the Chi:
caeo and Northwestern Road, which covered
many acres. Hundreds Of cars were burned.
At this hour not even q veteran fireman
would have yentured to estimate the anal
extent Of the fire. 1t was then extending
south of Broadway bridge and backing up
Detroit street at the river front and at the
lake. It had swept clear through to the
Jake. a distance Of about eight blocks, or one
mile and was burning fercely along the
great elevators Of the city at the mouth OF
the river.
and north Of the gashouse. East ef the gas.
house the fire had consumed everything, ana
there was nothing more in that locality for
It to feed on, =,
west of the gashouse the flames attacked
the Rledberg Vinegar Works, which were
consumed.
The FIRE was now eating its way south to
Erie street. and seemed likely to con-
sumo everything in that locality.
Only small buildings owned by the gas
company had been burned up to this time,
and the irsmen were trying to save the main
buildings.
the entire loss had aggregated $1,000. 900 pp
to that hour. One estimate placed the loss
at SEQ. 600 O0o. At 11:45 Chief Foley m
nonncad that the fire was under control.