St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-29
ACRES OF ASHES
ALI of the Southern Section
of Milwaukee Is IN
Ruins.
Famed by a Heavy Gale, the
Flames Swept With Re-
sistless Force.
Block After Block Of Substan-
tial Buildings Burns Like
Tinder.
Four Firemen Perish Under
the Falling Walls OF
a Building.
MANY Other Fatalities EX-
pected to be Report
ed Today.
Heavy Losses Foot up in
the Neighborhood OF
$6,OOO,00O.
Other Cities Send Aid at the
Call Of their Strick-
en- Sister.
Heavy Losses Foot up in
the Neighborhood OF
$6,OOO,0OO.
Other Cities Send Aid at the
Call of their Strick-
en- Sister.

MILWAUKEE. Oct. 29.-This city last
night was visited by the worst devastat-
ing fire in the city's history.
Four lives were certainly lost and pos
sibly more.
Conservative insurance men estimate
the loss at s5,675, 600.
The flames, which started in the base
ment of an oil company's building,
famed by a furious gale, swept east
ward toward the Menominee river,
and nothing could restrain them.
Dynamite was used, but without
effect. Mighty billows of flames
swept over blocks of buildings,
eIaped over the river and
jumped across the streets. All sorts of
conveyances were hurrying about the
Third ward, loaded with the belongings
of people on whose homes the flames
were rushing. The entire fire depart
ment were powerless. Chicago, Racine
and other cities were asked for assist
ance, and by 10 o'clock engines and
ming to arrive.
democrats, Register To-day.
More than eleven blocks of solid ter
ritory, including much of the most ex-
tensive wholesale district, has been
burned over. Nearly seventy build
ings, two-thrds of which were frame
residences, faded into smoke as fast as
tissue paper. The loss is almost ines
timable.a at this time, but will reach into
the millions.
The district burned at 10 o'clock in
cluded the territory extending diagon-
ally from the alley between Detroit and
Buffalo streets to the corner of Erie and
jefferson streets. At that time the
Menomonee river, with the big Name
gold elevators and the great Kissip
factories just across the border, was
less than a block away from the roaring
flames.
The fire started between $50 and $40
o'clock in the store occupied by the
Union Oil company at 275 East Water
street. At the time three fires in
various sections of the city had called
many of the engines, and it was fifteen
minutes before response was made to
the alarm from the corner of Detroit
and East Water streets. In a short time
seven or eight streams had been di-
rected upon the flames. There was
series of explosions but in
half another streams from several tugs
$ were PLAYING Oh the fire. 1t seemed as
ifthe very current of the Milwaukee
river. was being emptied upon the red
brick block. 1t was stated the fire was
helped rv the explosions in oil barrels
Democrats. Register Today.
Thousands of people, attracted by the
continued alarms, iiad rushed to the
vicinity, and watched the fight with in
terest but between the great force of
fremen and the putting steamers,
reached the conclusion that it was not
much of fire after all. and went home
Then it was about GAO o'clock Only
black smoke issued from the buildings
Fifteen minutes later the tired tiremen
began to feel the enemy getting out of
their grasp. Renewing their efforts,
they fought with every weapon known
TO the art. The flames were too much
for them. The fire gained footing in
the adjoining store of Dohmen &5 Co. 1t
was then that it got beyond control.
At7 O'Clock The big factory of the
BuOb d hipp company, faciug on
Broadway, almost a full block away.
began to blaze. The fire had started
with the wind in the northeast, but it
had now veered to almost due east, and
merchants in the business section of the
East side grew scared. The flames
jumped across the streets on the east
side of East Water street, and had taken
a tirmer grip in the big Bubb & Kipp
factory.
Democrats, Register Today.
Five minutes more and Jacob Wei
lauer Il Co.'s wholesale grocery store on
the east side of Broadway. directly op-
posite Bubb & Kipp's, was in flames. 1t
seemed aS'if mountain of fire welled
across Broadway. One instant and the
east side of Broadway was in flames,
and the next the rolling waves of fire
swept across The street and descended
on the buildings opposite. Within a
moment they we're wrapt in flames.
A thousand streams OF water could
not stay such a confiagration in its
march of destruction toward the lake
The walls of the three-story brick bnild-
Ing oil Broadway, formerly occupied by
the cracker trust, but then vacant, be-
gan to totter, and warming voices urged
the crowd back just in time. The whole
front of the building pitched into the
street. a few moments later the sides
fell outward with crash.
The people in that part of the Third
Mard realized that their homes were
sdOomed. There was stampede of res
idents into the street. all armed with
furniture, cats and dogs and all man
ner of household utensils and bedding
and vehicles Of every description were
hurrying away with belongings of the
people whose homes were said to be in
ruins.
Meanwhile they stampeded over the