St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-29
THE SCENE MAGNIFICENT.
A Sight Which Will Long Be Re-
membered by MiIwaukeeans

membered by Milwaukeeans.
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 29.-During The
first progress of the blaze the scene
was indescribably magnificent. The
sky was covered with gray, leaden-like
clouds, and was lighted up until the
hues it assumed was like the finest
sunset. The flames seemed to
reach the very skies. Although it was
rapidly growing dark, the East side of
the city was as light as day, SO bright
was the blaze. The electric lights as
sumed blue color. and seemed more
like will-o-the-wlsps than the lights
which usually Illuminated the city.
From the Oil company's building, where
the fire started, flames leaped out
in all directions. Here the fire.
men fought like demons, knowing that
if the fire once gained the start owing to
the furious wind nothing could save that
part of the city from destruction, but
their efforts were in vain, and tongues
OF flames shot from the roofs of the
building and reaching across the
street, set fire to the neighboring
structures. From the building
the flames spread until the whole block
was blazing. Then for time the fire
men seemed to gain an advantage, and
the flames disappeared and. were sue
ceeded bv dense clouds of black smoke.
This was but momentary, and the fire,
which seemed to nave gained fresh
headway under its temporary lull, broke
out with increased fierceness.
Flames shot out in all directions and
clouds of sparks, carried by the hurri-
cane, landed on the roofs of buildings
blocks away. Then the firemeD saw
that their only hope lay in cutting off
the blaze IN advance. Procuring dyna-
mite, they blew up number of build
ings in the path of the flames, but
this had 10 effect The fire leaped
these small barriers as though none eX-
listed, and they found themselves work.
ingin the midst of the furnace. Brick
and stone buildings crumbled in the
intense heat like paper, walls were fall
ing on all sides, and, in spite of their
efforts, the firemen saw that they could
do nothing. So, giving up the fight.
they did what they could to keep the
flames in their course until they ran
into the lake.
E. p. Bacon, president of the cham
Der of commerce, tonight called a meet
ing of citizens to be held at 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning in the Board of
Trade building to arrange plans for
raising money and aiding the poor
Probably the most efficient of any
granted by any one tonight was by Fa-
ther Kehoe. of St.J Johns Catholic church,
to the victims of the burned district
He threw the doors of the church open,
and turned it into big camp for the
homeless. Sending the priests out
through the streets, he gathered in the
sufferers until even the limits of the
big building were reached. Then he
opened the parocnial schools adjoining,
and enabled hundreds to find shelter
who would otherwise have to spend the
night OH the streets.
Early in the evening fireman of No.
3 engine was suffOcated and taken to
the emergency hospital in an ambu-
lance. When the ambulance arrived at
the hospital he was found to be be dead
and was conveyed to the morgue. He
had not been identified at midnight.
Among the injured at the emelgency
hospital is Richard Cartner. who bOards )
at the corner of Auer and Humboldt
avenues. He is twenty years of age,
and will recover.
William White, twenty-five years of
age, an employe of the Weisland Filter
company, was standing in the alley in
the rear of that establishment when the
boiler exploded. His leg was tLroKen
and he received several wounds on the
head, which TTTr dangerous. but not
fatal, ne resides at 379 Greenfield ave-
hue. He was taken to the Emergency
hospital, where his brother, Ed White,
was looking for his third brother, Henry
White, who also worked for the Weis--
land FEter company.