Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-11-03
SWEPT BY FIRE.
Destructive CondagrssIon at Milwaukee,
The Loss Over Ten MillIoos Doliars-
Some OF the Sufferers


Some of the Sufferers
MINIATURES. Oct 2e.-Scores sof
blocks OF Milwaukee's largest business
firms, together with hundreds of frame
houses. were destroyed by fire last
night commencing in an establish
ment on East Water street. next to the
river, the flames driven by the fearful
hurricane that was blowing spread with
frightful rapidity to the lake over half
a mile to the east. 1t Is utterly impoS~
sible to estimate the loss with anv de.
gree of accuracy Even a complete list
OF the big business houses canzot be
obtained, while to these must be added
the small individual losses OF hundreds
of small property owners whose houses
and household goods have been de-
stroyed.
The tract burned is over half mile
wide east and west and mile north
and south Commencing in the estab-
hshment of the Union Oil Co. at e15
Water street, the fire was burning
hercely when the city department
reached the scene Owing to the hur-ri-
cane 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 all in their
power, riszing their lives in the burn
ing buildings and endeavoring by tear
ing down blocks in advance of the path
Of the fire to check it This was in
vain, and all night long the flames con-
t1nued along their way from the estab-
Hshment on East Water street
Where the blaze started the path of
the fire was in the shape of an immense
V, the connecting point of the two bars
being In the oil esta b1ishmert, with
one line extending directly east to the
lake, the other running to the lake in a
southeriy direction. Through immense
factories from four to sevsn stories
high, which were supposed 70 be fire
proof. the flames spread with as much
ease as through the frame cottages.
which they attacked further east. After
wiping out the factories and wholesale
establishments the fire found easy prey
in the scores of blocks filed with
frame houses, which extend east of
Mil waukee street
From here the flames leaped to the
freight house of the Milwaukee, Lake
Shore & Western These caught in the
extreme southern end and in a moment
were ablaze along their whole length,
over two blocks Adjoining the depots
were the freight yards of the same rail-
road. as well as of the Chicago & North
western These yards were filed with
hundreds of loaded cars, all of which
were quickly consumed As soon as Il
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 out of the yards
As soon as the destruction OF the rail-
~ -f1- fa.a
though prompted by malice, veered
from west to northwest. Had it re-
manned in the west. the flame would
have exhausted itself 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
rapid march toward Lake Michigan, six
blocks away.
The entire lower part of the Third
ward, Inhabited largely by poor Irish
families. is devasted-- About 500 dwell
ings have been destroyed and the poor
people have been wandering about the
streets loudly lamenting their losses
Some plan for the relief of them viii
no doubt be made, bnt at this time peo-
pie seem to be stunned and are doing
nothing.
At 10 o'clock the gas works were
! burning and frequezt explosions oc-
Cured that shook the whole city. The
| lights went out The department used
| dynamite in an effort to stop the adj
vance of the flames, and several build
! ings, were blown up.
During the course of the fire num-
| Der of barns and large livery tables
were burned. These were filed with
horses, which. were liberated by the
police. The horses ran wildly about
the streets and before they could be
! caught a number of persons were run
down and badly injured.
From reports now coming in 1t would
seem that the number of lives lost viii
be considerable.
The losses will reach SO, 600, 900.
At $40 o'clock this morning the fire
was under control
Leading insurance men say that
about half of the loss is covered by in
surance. Some of the losses are as fol-
lows: Bubb & Kipp. furniture, $50, 1000;
j. Mott Sc Co. paints and oils, $3.50, 600;
J. P Kissinger, wholesale liquors, $780,
600: Milwaukee mirror works s50,-
600; 3. Leedersdorf, tobacco, $780,
600; Mugler Lithograph com
pany $3.50, 600, Roundy, BeclAham q 20,
wholesale products, $4,000. H Scher-
tells & Co, wholesale grocers, $500, 0Oos
J. Wellmure & Co., wholesale grocers-
500, 900; Milwaukee Chair company,
$3.50, 600; Northwestern freight houses,
contents and cars, $500, 600; Milwaukee,
Lake Shore and Western freight
houses, $3.50, 900; P. Flugo & Co, con-
dictionaries, s25, 600; Sauer & Co,
gloves, $4,000; fifty smaller business
buildings. $500, 900; 500 dwellings and
cottages, $50, 600; 7. p. Dosmen & Co,
$780, 900; Weesel & Vitler, machinery,
800, 900; Toepner Eisens, machinery,
$40, 900; Bayley & Sons. machinery. $780,
600; Inbusch Bros, grocers, $3.50, 200;
Feneker & Broconfred, 5000; Della
ware & Quentin, tool shops, $50, 600;
Milwaukee Bag Co., $50. 600; A J. Hill
bert & Co, havoring EXTRACTS, 1900.
Proved Failure
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Oct S9--The race
meeting at the kite track near COlum-
bia came to a sudden end One race
was ended yesterday and the winner
was paid the purse partly in money and