The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-29
MIL LWAUKEE IN FLAidES.
Scores of Blocks of the Largest
Business Houses Destroyed.
HUNDREDS OF DWELLING BURNED.
A Tract a Mile Long and Half a
Mile Wide Burned Over-The Loss
VIII Amount to $50, 100000 or
7 $50, 100000.

VIII Amount to $40, 100000 or
$25. 100000.
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 29.-Scores of blocks
of Milwaukee's largest business firms,
together with hundreds of frame houses,
were destroyed by fire last night. Com
mencing at $3.50 in an oil establishment
on East Water street, near the river, the
flames, driven by the fierce winds-a
hurlicane-which were blowing, spread
with frighttul rapidity to the lake, over
half mile to the east. 1t is utterly inn
possible to estimate the loss with any de-
gree of accuracy. Even complete list
of the big business h ouses cannot he OBJ
tained, while to these must be added the
small individual losses of hundreds of
small property owners, whose houses and
household goods have been destroyed.
AS 1t is the loss will probably amount to
S20, 100000 or $25, 100000
The Territory Burned Over.
The track burned is over half mile
wide, east and west, and a mile north
and south, commencing in the establish
ment of the Union Oil company at 275
East Water street. The fire was burn
ing fercely when the city department
reached tho scene. Owing to the hur-
ricane 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 everything in
their power, risking their lives in the
burning buildings and endeayoring by
tearing down blocks in advance of the
path of the fire to check it.
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 the path of the
fire was in tho shape OF an immense v,
the connecting point of the two horns
being in the oil establishment while one
line extended directly east to the lake,
the other running to the lake in south
erly direction through immense factories
from four to seven stories high which
were supposed to be fire proof, the flames
spread with as much ease as though they
were frame cottages, which they att lcked
farther east. After wiping out the fac
fories and wholesale establishments the
fire found easy prey in the scores of
blocks filed with frame houses which
extend east of Milwaukee street.
Hundreds of Cars Destroyed.
From these the flames leaped to the
freight house of the Milwaukee, Lake
Shore and Western. These caught on
the extreme southern end and in mo-
ment We're ablaze along their whole
length, over two blocks Adjoining the
depots were the freight yards of the same
railroad, AZ well as Of the Chicago and
Northwestern. These yards We're filed
with hundreds of loaded cars, all of
which were quickly consumed. As soon
as it was seen that the yards were in the
path of the holocaust a score of switch
engines were set at work to endeavor to
get the loaded cars from the yard. The
men worked bravely and succeeded in
removing some of the trains, but they
could only take them farther south, the
yards to the north being blocked.
Poultry Roasted Alive.
This did no good, as the wind sud
denly shifted from the northwest to al
most direct north, and in 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 rail
road yards was assured, the wind, as
though prompted by malice, veered from
west to north. Had it remained in the
west the fire would have exhausted it,
self 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
leaped across the street and began a
rapid march toward Lake Michigan, siS
blocks away, cutting down in short order
the following stores: F. Dohem g. Co.
wholesale drugs; M. Bloch, wholesale
liquors; Bub & Kipps, seven-story build
ing, furniture factory; Roundy, Peck
ham & Co., wholesale grocers; Jacol
Wellauer & Co, wholesale grocers; John
son Bros cracker factory american Bis
cuit Coz and the National Distilling Co
Three Hundred Cottages Burned.
The entire lower part of the Thirt
ward, inhabited largely by poor Irisf
families, is devastated. About 300 cot
tages have been destroyed and the pool
people are wandering about the street'
loudly lamenting their losses. Some
plan of relief for them will no doubt be
made. but at this time people seem tc
be stunned and are doing nothing.
Alarms came in every few minutes
from parts Of the city widely separated
and it is thought that fire bugs helped il
the work of destruction. Tho elegant
residence of L. +. Hodges, a member ol
the board of trade, at Ninth and Cedal
streets, two miles from the place where
the fire started, has been destroyed.
Up to o'clock only two fatalities had
been reported-a fireman killed and {
woman suffocated. The gas works arr
burning and frequent explosions occul
that shake the whole city.
Many Of the scenes of the great fire oi
1871 in Chicago were enacted, the dyna
mite explosions the leaping flames anC
Crumbling walls added to the terror o.
the situation.
1t Is reported that four of the crew o.
the life saving station were killed by
falling wall at Werzel & Villes' machin,
shop while coming to the assistance o
the fire department. The light hors
squadron and the Fourth battalion hav
been called out to guard property.
Southern milwaukee in Rims.
At midnight all the southern section o
Milwaukee was in ruins and the dread
full conhagration is still in progress
Never in the history of the city has sucl
a calamity befallen it. Acres of land
embracing the great manufacturing dis
tricts of the city have been devastate,
and now lie mass of smouldering ruins
Almost the entire southern division iron
East Water street to the lake has beel
consumed,
The fire broke out near the corner o
East Water and Detroit streets ut abou
$50 d. m, and the alarm was imme
diately sent in, but owing to the terribl
high winds whiah hswept easterly toward
the lake, the buildings in this yicinit
were speedily consumed, and the til
spreau with bew1idermg raplnty. Fly
ing cinders dashed and sped on througl
the night air like mammoth pyrotech
mic display. Shattering in their fligh
they landed on the roofs of the larg
manufacturing establishments, the prid
of the city, and in few minutes build
ing after building was gutted and hug
walls cracked and tottered to the ground
Aid from Other Cities.
Telegrams were quickly dispatched t
Chicago, Racine and nearer cities fo
aid, all of which responded promptly