The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-06
A Million Dollars 60 Up in
Smoke in Two Hours.
BURNING LIKE SHAVINGS.
Not Roofs Enough Left to Shelter
the Hungry People.

ANYTHING Except some Beer and "hte-
.c,-renra That n Few Lives Are Lost
Tn. People Need Bread aud Medicine
An Appeal for Relief Sent to Denver-No
provision to stop Fire and Little Insur-
auee-Much Drunkenness-A Riot Feared.
South CREFpE June 5.-Tlmtown was burned
This morning. The entire area between tho
school section and Upper Creole is now
mass Of smouldering ruins. 1t ts roughly
os.matcd that tho loss Is fully Sl.OOO.oOo. ana
,bare is not over S15O.0o0 insurance. The
rolroad track Is warped and twisted. and all
,,oins must stay at South Creole for tho
present. ,c.,,
xh.icsnle liquor house. at Gill ana Main
streets. Jerry Guinon. who leased John
Einnyey's saloon. was awakened at about
A. NJ. by his porter who was having some
words with party of half drunken men who
had spent the night at Ford's dance house.
Thn man left the saloon aud Jerry fell asleep
.r,in, In n few moments he wns awakened
~, ,be ,orter again. This time the room was
,,l.d with smoke. and almost sutfocated he
ra,,e hi. way to the street in his undercothes.
liz mourns. among other things. the loss OF
$3.50 in gold, which he had In his trousers
pocket.
The flames burst through the roof. and in
ten minutes time they had spread beyond
control. Main and Cliff streets wore soon
mass OF fire The business houses burned
rapidly Then tho flames caught the dwell
inCs on the mammoth mountain side OF the
culch and they went up in smoke. The depot
caught n"xt. and then large number OF
houses. including the big lodging house owned
by jim Connors. were destroyed.
An outsider could hardly imagine the dam
ape done unless he had visited this camp yes
terdny saw the business doing and the
thropEs OF people and, contrastc'I tho busy
scene with the wreck and ruin which has been
wrought in few hours time. An effort was
made to save some OF the merchandise and
groceries. but the crowd got wild. Men lost
their heads, and at this writing the most
noticeable objects saved are kegs Of beer.
casks Of whiskcy and cases Of wine. Drunken
men. revealing in the liquid booty which is
now free for the asking. are becoming more
numerous every hour.
Mayor Morton and the Marshal and depu-
ties arc swearing in armed men. who will pre-
serve the peace and prevent II possible. the
riot and debaucherv. which it is feared will
como through the night. Both hotels are safe.
and at the Fortoni. Proprietor Cleary threw
omen his dining room. and allowed the hungry
hundreds to breakfast without money or price
Lille Lowell was the first to open her purse
strings. She gave $50 to Mr. Clcary to buy
provisions for those who had lost their all. At
least |. 900 people are homeless. and many Of
these will be in actual distress in short time
kilograms have been sent to Denver. and
the ,peop,a of the capital will doubtless re-
spend to Creede's appeal literally. Tho gulch
from South Creole depot up to the fire line IS
lined with people. who are guarding what few
things they managed to save from the wreck
There nre not houses enough to shelter all the
reopic and many have not n roof between
them and tho sky. and the outlook is gloomy.
A few buckle, brigades were formed. and
these worked as well as they could. hut as we'll
might they have tried To bail tho Willow Creek
out with q spoon rs to fight against the flames.
which swept on until the last vestige OF Jim
town had become charred and destroyed. 1t
is rumored that four sick men. unable to
escape are buried In the ruins. but at present
the rerort cannot be verified. II no lives are
lost 1t will be thing most providential. be-
cause hundreds Of persons occupied the fur
nish,d- room houses which abound on both
Streets
Among the ruins are the safes of the First
National Bank. tho Miners and Merchants
Exchange Bank the Bank OF Creede. the Dem
We, Exchange. Adams Hardware Company.
Tompkins Hardware Company. and others.
Some are almost twist ed from the intense heat
but the contents OF all are presumed
to be safe. The creek has turned to
iu.y h,ackness and Is carving down
o. Oh, ,oi,,y +ovns tb, avidancss ~
tbo foar,,, havoc including kegs Of beer. most
~ ,rhjch hnw.vor ar. stonned nv drunken
man r,,, stand in tha middle n, tho creek
and hrayo ths .,cments RarreIs Of wbiskev
merchandise. and dry goods are floating with
thocrrr,n. dow, 70 Wason and Del No,te a
mute appeal TO or ncghbors that We must
haze substantial oil and that quickly.
Never IN thn history Of the stare has such
ruin bc.n Wrought in so short "A time. There
wssnotime TO save ANYTHING. and those who
esraued with IN cir lives arc fortunate.
Mayor Morton has issued an order request
ing all saloons to close, and men who ara car.
rying around whiskoy and melting peorle to
drink will be- discouraged in an abrupt but
e,.tirnly satisfactory manner.
Everything In tho principal business nor
tion OF Crecdc has been DESTROYED EXCEPT the
arnproof safes: gone ny in smoke ara the
hopes OF twenty-iour hours ago. and tbe