The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-11-03
SIX MILLIONS LOST.
MlLWAUKEE'S TERRIBLE vlSI-
TATION.

lEHHIoIE WISH"
TATION.
Swept by Flames with the Wind Blowing
. Sixty-N1ile Gale--Entire Lower Portion
of the East Side IL Gone.
Wild Night Of Ruin.
The lower portion of the East Side of
Milwaukee went up in whirlwind OF
flame Friday night. The burned por-
ton comprises the wholesale district.
the Northwestern Railway yards, and
gas works. 1t is also thickly inhabited
by Italians, Poles, Germans and Irish.
most of whom are poor and have lost
everything. The loss will be between
S., OOO, 900 and ST. 200, 900.
The fire started shortly before 6
o'clock in the wholesale liquor house Of
A. Blade & Son. The wind at the time
was blowing fully sixty miles an hour.
AS the FIRE broke through the roof the
hurricane caught up the brands, and,
whrling them across the block, flung
them full on the en-story building OF
Bubb 4 kipp on the corner of broadway
and Buffalo streets. Before the engines
on a third alarm could arrive and come
into action the kipp fui.ding was
mass OF flames.
This was the beginning OF the end.
The 81 arks were caught up by the g he
and whirled hither and yon. while the
firemen, fighting bravely in the molten
shower. found their efforts power.ess to
ct 81 ~ 1,p 4
eral alarm was TUNED in, bringing the
entire fighting force of the city into
action, but it was unable TO stay tho
steady march of the flames which now
were rioting blocks away.
From this on it was a steady conquer
ing march. The zig streams OF water
looked like siuirtgun' playing against
the roaring sea of flame. From Bubb 4
kipp's the fire had eaten backward to
East Water street, but there it was held
by hard fighting, with the fire com
panies enveloped IN smoke and flames,
undistinguishable except as the wind
whirleG the curtain apart at times for
second.
People Driven from Their Homes.
Baked here. the flames threw them
selves with renewed vigor on the terri
tory to the eastward and lecward.
There no engines stage their progress.
and they rioted down across Broadway,
stopped fer a moment in the block be-
tween that street and Milwaukee street.
then jumped over that and continued
their unimpeded career toward the
lake, nalf mile away, carrying
destruction, ruin, and despair to
POOR families who were in their
path. These people hurriedly LEFT their
! homes, carrying with them what they
could, and where this was impossible
| by the sudden onset of the hurricane OF
| fire fed swiftly, not stopping 20 look
behind, only glad to escape with Their
lives Mixed in with the small wooden
buildings. which were the dwelling
places of these unfor;unates. We're huge
wholesale houses. The fire king made
20 invid;Ous distinctions. The Big
trade warehouses went with the hum
bier home. The only difference was
hat he stayed longer with the former.
The territory burned out is in the
shape of a slightly obtuse triangle with
he apex at Blade & Co.'S, on the river,
he upper side Detroit street, the lower
Menominee street to Milwaukee and
hen to the Milwaukee River, and the
base Lake Michigan. Roughly it is a
| >'~
case line.
At 7:3O O'Clock Friday night Fire Chief
Swenie, of Oh cago, received a message
from Chief James Foley, of Milwaukee,.
asking for immel late assistance. Ex-
actly at $3.50, less than two hours after
the call for help was received, the ira n
left the north end of the Northwestern
Yards. with &. NJ. Ha,shaw, a trusty
lriver, at the throttle. The train con-
sisted only of four fiat ears containing
the fire apparatus and tabOose, ard
looked more like a circus train than
anything else. The cahoOse was filled
with fremen, reporters, and fire-insur-
ance adiusters. 1t was run as spe ial
and was given a through r.slt Of way
from Chicago to Milwaukee.
Assistance also came from kenosha
Racine and other towns near by. In the
meantime in Milwaukee, the scenes OF
Chicago's big fire were rcp' ated. Hun
irels of poor househo!ders carried il
their arms, in carts or wagons whitevel
they had been able to seize and save
before they We're obliged to fly from
their burning homes. They did not fee
safe until they put the Milwaukee Rivel
between them and the destroying enc
my Tie few engines which could bt
brought into action were unable to pre-
vent the wild riot. Every street look
ing south was molten hell. The efforts
Of that portion of tie department to thu
west and north Of the fire hal been di
rec. ed toward holding it from any retro
grade march, and in this the men wer,
) successful.
The flames sh owed considerable
&c .entricity in their ravages. The,
would Jump across buildings for a block
leaving them untouched, only to return
later and wipe them out in spite OF TIL
efforts of the tiremen, who fought gal
lantly against the heavy odds.
Capt. Davis of the revenue cutie
johnson. which was lying in the hart OF
ten Tered his crew to Chief Foley for us
in fighting the fire. They were CRATE
fully accepted, and relieved the firemel
IN places where they had become ex
lausted by their hard fight. The re
serve force came just in time, and tn
Johnson men fought CALAMITY and eff
.ectively.
The Fourth Regiment, under the cen
mand of Col. hing, was called out t
assist in guard duty, as the crowds i
the vicinity of the burned district mum
bercl thousands, and the police fore
was in need Of assistance. p!a'oo
Of the Fourth which assembled at tn
armorv earliest vas sent to the Hous
, Of Correction, near which institution
fire was reported raging. where Their
were no police for guard duty. all tn
men being busy at the other ii:c. Com
panies f and F were used for guar
duty along Detroit street. where Their
were piles of household goods whic
had been hastily removed from tn
burning houses. Company A was o
guard duty around the Northwestern
wards. where thieves had taken advan
tage OF the fire TO attempt the lcotin
of box cars.
Fully 10000 people were made home
less, and leading insurance men sa
that about half the loss is covered b
| insurance. They estimate the tOts