Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-11-03
A FIERY CYCLONE.
Hundreds OF Acres Of Milwaukee's
Business Section Burned.
n Fire Second Only to that OF Chicago In
1871-Hundreds ~ People Homeless
and Many Lives Lost-The
Loss Many Milltons.

4rmS together with hundreds OF frame
aaonses were destroyed by fire last
night Commencing at $50 o'clock in
an oil establishment on East Water
street next to the river, the flames,
driven by the fearful hurricane which
was blowing, spread with fright
iai rapidIty to the lake over
half a mile to the east 1t
rs utterly impossible to estimate the
loss with any degree of accuracy
Eycn a complete list of the big bust
ness houses connot be obtained, while
tn these must be added the small in
-dividnal losses of hundreds of small
property owners whose houses and
household goods have been destroyed.
As 1T is, the loss will probably amount
TO $40. oO0. 900 or s25, 900. 900.
The tract burned is over half a mile
wide east and west, and a mile north
and south, commencing in the estab-
iishment of the Union Oil Co., at 275
East Water street The fire was burn
ing fercely when the city department
reached the scene. Owing to the hurri-
cane that was blowing the men were
utterly unable to do anything. and for
any practical results might as well have
done nothing. In spite of this the
men worked bravely and did every
thing in their power, risking their
lives in the burning buildings and en-
deavoring by tearing down blocks in
advance of the path of the fire to check
1T This was in vain. and all night
long the flames continued along their
way. From the establishment on East
Water street, where the blaze started,
tho NATL, IF En 81 - 81, -
an immense V the connecting points
of the two arms being the oil
establishment. while one line extended
directly east to the lake. the other
running to the lake in southerly direc-
ton Through immense ia ctories. from
four to seven stories high, which were
supposed to be fire-proof. the flames
spread with as much ease as through
the frame cottages which they at
tackled further east. After wiping out
the factories and wholesale establish
ments the fire found easy prey in the
scores Of blocks flied with frame
houses which extend east of Milwaukee
street
From these the flames 1eaped to the
freight houses OF the Milwaukee, Lake
Shore & Western. These caught on
the extreme southern end and in a
moment were ablaze along their whole
length, over two blocks. Adjoining
the depots were the freight yards of
the same railroad as we'll as of the
Chicago & Northwestern. These yards
were filled with hundreds of loaded
cars. all of which were quickly con-
suIHcd AS soon as it was seen that the
yards were in the path of the holocaust
n score of switch engines were set at
work to endcavor to get the loaded cars
ont of the yard. The men worked
bravely and succeeded in removing
some of the trains, but they could only
take them further south. the yards to
the north being blocked. This did no
good, as the wind suddenly shifted from
northwest to almost direct north. and
in n moment the cars which had Just
escaped the flames in one place were
burned in another.
1t was in these yards that some of
the most pitiful sights were seen. In
one place half a dozen poultry cars full
of ducks and chickens were roasted
alive As soon as the destruction of
the railroad yards was assured, the
wind. as though prompted by malice.
manned in the west the fire would have
exhausted itself in the lake.
Chief Foley kept the fire confined to
one block on East Water street until :
o'clock, when it got away from him and
ieaped across the street and began a
rapid march toward Lake Michigan,
six blocks away. cutting down in short
order the following stores: F. Dohe-
men & Co., wholesale drugs; NJ. Bloch,
liquors: Bub & Kipp's seven
story furniture factory, Roundy. Peck
ham d Co. wholesale grocers: Jacob |
Dellauer & Co., wholesale grocers;
johnson Bros. cracker factory (Ameri-
can Biscuit Co. and the National Dis
Filling Co.
The entire lower part of the third
ward. inha bited largely by poor Irish
faaaiiies. is devastated.
About 800 cottages have been de-
-stroyed, and the poor people are wan
siering about the streets loudly lament
ing their losses. Some plan OF relief for
them will no doubt be made. but al this.
time people seem to be stunned and
are DONG nothing.
Alarms came in every minute from
different parts of the city widely separ-
atcd, and it is thought that fire bugs
helped in the work of destruction.
The elegant residence of L. +. Hodges,
n member of the board of trade. at
Ninth and Cedar streets, two miles
from the place where the fire started, |
has been destroyed.
Up to Q o'clock only two fatalities
had been reported, one fireman killed
and n woman SuffOcated
The gas works are burning and fire.
-quent explosions occur that shake the
whole city. Many of the scenes of the
great fire of 1871 in Chicago We're re-
enacted, the dynamite explosions, the
2eaping flames and crumbling walls,
adding to the terror of the situation.
1t is reported that four of the crew of
the life-saving station were killed by a
falling wall at Wersel & Viltc's ma
chine shop, while coming to the assist
ance of the fire department. The Light
Horse squadron and the Fourth battal-
ION have been called out to guard prop
erty.
Shortly before Q o'clock the various
departments of the gas works exploded
in quick succession with deafening re-
verberations- This loss alone represents
81 900. 900, which was the cost of the
rcccntly-erected plant. All the North
western freight buildings and cars
along the track are totally destroyed.