Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-29
RAVAGING FLAMES,
Sweep at Their Will Over the
Cream City.
RIDING ON THE WINGS OF THE GALE
The Hungry Devastator Works His
AWFUL Havoc Until He Licks Up
$Io,ooo,ooo in Property
Human Life Lost.

Much of the Business Portion of the CITY
Laid Waste and Hundreds of Workmen'l
Cottages Left In Ashes-The F1remen
PowerIess Before the Sweep of the De-
stroyer-Help Sent from Chicago and
Other PIaces-Hundreds of Freight Cars
Burned, Many of Them Loaded with
Live Poultry-Destruction of Freight
Depots-Frantic Scenes in the Streets
Relief Measures Inaugurated.
MILWAUKEE, Oct 29.-Scores of blocks
of Milwaukee's largest business houses, to-
gether with hundreds of frame houses,
were destroyed by fire last night. Com
mencing at $50 O'Clock in an the establish
ment on East Water street next to the
river the flames, driven by the fearful hur-
ricane which blowing, spread with
frghtful rapidity to the lake over half
mile to the east. 1t is utterly impossible to
estimate the loss with any degree of &C
curacy. Even a complete list of the big
business houses cannot be obtained, while
to these must be added the small individual
losses of hundreds of small property own
ers whose houses and household goods have
been destroyed.
Loss of Twenty five Millions.
As it is the loss will probably amount to
eSO,Oo0,0Oo or 81, 600, 900. The tract burned
is over half mile wide east and west and
q mile north and south, commencing in
the establishment of the Union Oil COM
pany at 275 East Water street. The fire
was burning fiercely when the city depart
ment reached the scene. Owing to the [,
hurricane that was blowing the men were i
utterly unable to do anything, and for any
practical results might as well have done I,
nothing. In spite of this the men worked |
brave'y and did everything in their power, !
risking their lives in the burning buildings |
and endeavoring by tearing down blocks in ,
advance of the path of the fire to check it. /
Location of the Conhagration.
= his was in vain and all night long the |
fla mes continued along their way from the
establishment in East Water street where |
ue blaze started. The path of the fire was in !
the shape of an immense V, the angle of /
{ lie letter being in the oil establishment,
while one line extends directly east to the
lake, the other running to the lake in !
; outherly direction. Through immense
actories from four to seven stories high |
which were supposed to be fireproof the i
flames spread with as much ease as through /
ther east. After wiping out the factories
and wholesale establishments the fire found
easy prey in the scores of blocks filled with
frame houses which extend the east of J
Milwaukee street |
Sweeps Into the Freight Yards.
From these the flames 1eaped to the
freight houses of the Milwaukee, Lake
Sfore and Western. These caught on the
Elk rene southern end and in moment
were ablaZe along their whole length, over
two blocks. Adjoining the depots We're the
fret ght yards of the same railroad as well
rs on the Chicago and Northwestern. These
yards were filed with hundreds of loaded
cars, all of which were quickly consumed
As soon Is it seen that the yards were in
the path of the fire score of switch engines
were set 1t work to endeavor to get the
loaded cars out of the yard. The men
worked bravely and succeeded in removing
some of the trains, but they could only
take then further south, the yards to the
north being blocked.
Poultry Roasted Alive.
This did n good, as the wind suddenly
shifted from the northwest to almost direct
north and in a moment the cars which had
just escaped the flames in one place were
burned in al other. 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 the destruction of the
railroad yards was assured the wind as
though prompted by malice, veered from
north to west. Had it remained in the
north the fire would have exhausted itself in |
the lake.
BEGINNING OF THE CONFEDERATION.