The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-10-29
MILWAUKEE, ON FIRE
TIE GREATEST CONFEDERATION
Of LATE YEARS
Visits Wisco lsin's Principal Citv and
Smoulderlng Ruins Tell the Tale
OF the Devastating Fire Fiend.
fhe Flames Sweep the yhoiesaie Dis
trict aud Twenty Wilton Dollars
VIII Not Repay the Eoss-IsOrne-
less People Crazed WITH Grief

honses, were destroyed by fire 10 night
Commencing at p N. in an il estab-
lishment on East Water street, near the
river, the flames, dTivcn by the fearful
hurricane which was blowing, spread
with frightful rapilly t3 tie lake. ever
half a mile to the east. L IS impossible
t. estimate the loss WITH any degree Of
accuracy. Even a complete list Of tn
big business houses cannot ba obtained,
while to these must be added the small
individual losses of hundreds of smAIl
property owners whose houses and house.
hoid goods have been DESTROYED Asit
is the loss will probably amount to $40
coo 600 or $25, 600 600 lhe tract burned
Is over half mjie wiie, east and west.
and mile north aud south, commencinp
IN the establishment Of the union oil com
pan, at 275 east Water street. The ire
was Burning fercely when lie city dep IT.
meut reached the scene Owing to the
hurricane that was blowing, th- freinen
were utterly unable t. do auytLin.., and
for any practical results might as aen
have done nothing. In spite Of his. the
men worked braveiy ana did everything
In their power. risk!ng their lives in the
burning buildings ana t1deavoriug by
tearing down blocks il advInce of
the path Of the tiie 10 cheek il.
his was in vain and all night long the
flames continued along their way FROM
the establishment on East Water street
whore the blaze started. The path of
the tire was in the shape Of an immense
! y, the connecting point beng Il tie oil
establishment, Whiie one line eXtende3
directly east TO the lake. tuo ether nun
ming 70 the lake in southerly direction
through immense factories from four to
seven stories high, which were supposed
t be fire proof. These the E imes destroy
ed with a. much ease as though they werc
| the frame cottages which they attacked
/ further east After Wipiug out the fac
: tories and wholesale establishments th-
= fire found easy prey in the scores Of blocks
: filled with frame houses which extend
b east of Mliwauk erect. From these
$ the flames leaped TO il. freight house Of
the Milwaukee LakeshoIo ii Il Western
These caught on the extreme southern
end and IN a moment we're aDlaze along
: their whole length, over Two blocks Ad
joining the depOts were the freight Yards
of the same railroad As well as OF the
u Chicago and Northwestern These yards
were quickly consumed. As soon as it
was seen that the yards were IN the path
/ OF lie holocaust, a score of switch en-
!, q gines were set 10 work 70 get the loaded
I. cars out Of the yard Tie men worked
N oTavey and succeeded III removing
n some If the trains but they could
!. only take them father south. the
i yards to the north being bio, kod.
e Ihis did no good as the wind sudden
C. " shifted from n0rth west 10 aim 81
:. direct north, and in moment the car:
% which he'd Just escaped the flames IL one
l. pace were burned IN another 1t wa.
e ID these Yards thtt )me 4 the most phi
~ lul ghts We're seen. In one pace ha}i
= d q poultry cars fall Of ducks an5
il chickens hurLed and the foWs were
It r4-;rd alive. a, soon as the de
- .tiuc ion Of the railroad yara
q Was assured, the wind as though
n prompted by malice, veered from
p aest t. north Had It remained in th,
na west tie fire would have exhausted itsei
it, III tie lake. Chief Foley kept the tir,
ts- confined 70 one block on East Wate
~ street until o'clCck, when 1t got aw ~
from him and leaped across the street anC
b gan q rapid march towarn Lake EichI
gan, six blocks away, cutting down il
~ short order the following stores: +
ID Lme & Co, wholesale drug; N. Bloch
wholesale liquors; Bulbs " kips, seven
u tory building, furniture factory
Roudy Peckham a Co, wholesai
gfacers; Jacob Wellaucr s u.
wholesale grOcers Johnson Br ,thers
crockery factory (American Biscuit Com
le- pany) and the National Distiiling Com
re, pauy The entire lower part Of the thir
=. ward inhabited largely by poor Irlsl
Is families, is devastated. About 800 cot
ed tagc5 nave been 8 etroyed and the poo
tp- people are Nande ing about the streets
Il. loudly lamenung their losses. SON
,nt pan Of relief for them will be made, u
at this time people seem T. b
:. stunned and are doing nothing
Alarms came in every few minutes frol
: parts Of the city widely separated and
: is thought fire Bugs shaped the work {
, destructi N. The elegant residence {
l. +. Hodges, member of the board
DE pi+ trade two miles from the place whel
~ the fire started, has been destroyed. L
to o'clock only two fatalities had bee
reported-one fireman killed, and
woman sutfocated. The gas works a
burning and frequent explosions occl
y
- scenes of the great fire Of 1871 IN Chicae
were enacted the dynamite explosion
the leaping flames and crumbling wa
adding to the terror of the sltuatio
'ler 1t is reported that four of t
ns9 crew Of the life saving static
were killed by falling wall while col
ing to the assistance of the fire depal
ment At mid night all the southe
section Of Milwaukee is In ruins and t
are are dreadful conf Agration is still in progrej
Never IN the history of the city has su
q calamity befallen it. Acres Of Ian
embracing the great manufacturing d
ina tricts OF the city have been devastat
:. and now lie mass Of smouderlng ruil
:. Almost the entire southern dvisi
from East Water street to the lake
tbat been consumed. Flying cinders dash
Mich and sped on through the air, Ii
Ger a mammoth pyr0technic display, sc
erer tering in their flight, they landed up
like the roofs of the manufacturing esta
a.ed lishments, and in few minutes, bulldi
lavitb after building was Quilted and huge VIZ
hall tottered to the ground. Tue tiremen
-3m hausted their efforts and battled M
- fully, but it was impossible to master
E RS fire which swept, aidei by the vol
winds, tapping up block alter block
such an alarming situation. All enc
: 80 of the fire departmt Mt were almost tut
the kilograms were quickly dispatched
com. Chic6go Racine, and nearer cities
aid, all of which responded prompt
:. bringing fire engines and men
- assist at the dire CaiamitV Shortly