The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-11-01
IN RUINS.
Milwaukee Has the Greatest
Fire in Her History.
The Money Loss Estimated at as
Much as $7,O00,OOO,
With an Insurance of But About
So, 500, 900.
TWENTY BLOCKS OF MAGNIFICENT
BUILDINGS SWEPT AWAY.
THE FLAMES FAMED BY HIGH
WINDS FROM THE LAKE.


Five Hundred Residences Among the
Buildings DcstrOyed-Tluee Thousand
PEOPLE Homeless and with Nothing but
the Clothes They Had On-Several Peo-
pie Known to Have Been Killed and a
Large Number Injured - Immediate
Measures Taken for the Relief of the
sueferin,:-PhenixIike She Will Rise
Grander Than Ever Before, as Did Chi
caSo.
MILWAUKEE, oct. Sl.-The greatest
confagration in her history destroyed
scores of blocks of business houses and
residences in this city Friday night.
The burned district includes the south
portion of the Third ward and in geu-
eral way is bounded on the north by
Buffalo street on the east by the lake,
and on the south and west by the river.
On East Water street, where the fire
started, the blaze extended little north
of Buffalo street nearly to Detroit. In
this block, however, there were several
buildings that escaped.
The streets burned entirely. and on
which no houses or buildings are lett
standing are Buffalo. Chicago. Menomi-
nee. COrcorau avenue, Erie, Polk, Oregon
and Pierce. Besides these East Water
street is ruined from DetU1it south to
the river and Broadway, Milwaukee.
Jefferson, jackson, Van BEren and Carr,
from Buffalo street south.
The history of the fire, great as 1t
WIS. may be briefly recOunted, as fol-
lows:
There were several ALARMS Friday
afternoon fox fires. all Of them the re
salt of the heavy gale of wind that
sprang up shortly before noon and in
creased, until at ) o'clock it reached a
/ velocity of bout fifty miles an hour
! Between > and o'clock there We're
! ave alarms, and the fire department, IN
cIuding the fire tug. were scattered III
Z various parts of the city, when shortly
! before & o'clock an alarm was sent in
( from the box at the corner of Detroit
/ and East Water streets.
1t was for fire in the Union Oil com-
pany's store. at 275 East Water street,
about midway between Detroit and
/ Buffalo styects, the rear Of the store be
i2g on fire.
The fire. originated from an explosion
of something in the cellar. Fed by the
inhammable stock it soon spread
through the three upper floors.
It was ten minutes before the first en-
gine, coming from smaller fire some
distance away, had reached the scene,
and by that time the entire bUiiding
was in flames
From this point the flames spres: !!
until the lower part of the Third war,i
was burned over.
AT 2:4O Saturday morning it was an
nounoed that the fire was under control,
! having burned over about twenty
squares, destroying abogt fifty stores
and factories, AID about 800 residences
Scene of DesoIation.
Saturday morning broke on a scene Of
! desolatiasa such as the Cream City has
never before witnessed during its corpo-
rate existence.
Twenty blocks. Yesterday covered
with magnificent buildings devoted TO
manufacture tradeand commerce, were
a mass of siaouldering ruins; and where
! 500 residences, the homes of 1000 peO-
/ pie, stood. there was nothing save black
ened bricks and smoking ruins.
The loss in money Will probably not
exceed $1,000. 900 on which there Is
about $2. SOC. eco insurance, but the col
lateral damages- the iksInense shock to
! business and the inconvenience and posi-
tive suffering entailed 1pOn residents
and business me1 can not be computed
To Relieve the Sufferers.
| Every effort will be made. however,
/ to relieve the distress, and even whik
| the confagration was at its height r
Bacon. president of the chamber OF
commerce. issued call for a meeting Of
! the citizens of Milwaukee at the cham
Der of commerce at 8 o'clock 10 take
1 measures for the relief of the people
| left homeless and destitute by the fire.
The call was not addressed to the
members of the chamber of commerce
only. but to all citizens who are ready
| to join in this work Of imminent neces
sity.
/ Hundreds of families are left shelter
! less. and with nothing but the clothing
! worn Wueu IHeE ueu from tLe s"4AG kuI
suit of the devastating flames.
| Immediate measures for their relic.
must be adopted, and the meeting
| showed an attendance and a spirit
worthy of the city. Prompt and gener-
Gus action is demanded to prevent great
numbers of worthy people from suffer
ing from lack of food and shelter.
The Germania society also held q