Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-04


Lake Shore & Western, freight house
and cars in yards; Chicago & North
western, cars in yards; Milwaukee
Chair company, store and factory; II.
S. Johnston's Cracker factory, five
story brick, Broadway.
During the course of the fire a num-
Der of barns and large livery stables
were burned. These were filled with
horses, which were liberated by the
police. These horses ran wildly about
the streets and before they were caught
nlImbr of persons were run down
and badly injured. The wires of the
electric street railroads are down and
the telephone company's system is
Frustrated. Electric light service is
paralyzed. Work in newspaper offices
and telegraph Offices is being done by
candle light. There will be much suf
fering among the homeless poor and
outside aid will be necessary. The
Geunania society began tonight the
work Of raising funds for the victims
of the fire.
F.: The path of the fire was in the shape
Of an immense V, the connecting point
of the two bars being in an Oil estab-
lishment, while one line extended di-
rectly east to the lake, the other run
ming to the lake in a southerly direction
through immense factories from four
to five stories high, which were sup
posed fire-proof. The flames spread
with as much ease as through the
frame cottages, which they attacked
farther east. After wiping out the fac
tories and the wholesale establishments
the Iire found an easy prey in scores
Of blocks filed with frame houses
which extend east of Milwaukee street
From these the flames leaped to the
freight house of the Milwaukee Lake
Shore & Northern. These caught fire
on the extreme southern end, and in
moment were ablaZe along their whole
length, over two blocks. Adjoining
the depOts were the freight yards of
the same railroad as well as the Chica
20 ~ Northwestern. These yards were
filled with hundreds of loaded cars, ali
Of which were quickly consumed. AS
soon as it was seen that the yards
were i'll the path Of the holocaust, a
score of sWitch-engineS were set at
work to endeayor to get the loaded
cars out Of the yards Men worked
braycly, and succeeded in removing
some Of the trains, but they could only
take them farther south, the yards to
the north being blocked.
This did no good us the wind sudden
~ shifted from the northwest to alm0s:
IL
which had just escaped the flames in
one place We're burned in an0tthcr.
1t was i'll these yards that some of tile
most pitiful sights were seen. In one
place half Il dozen poultry cars full Of
ducks and chickens We're roasted alive.
As soon us the destruction OF the rai-
road yards was assured, the wind Is
though prompted by malice, Veered
from west 10 north. Had it relna1lied
III The west the lire would have exhaust
cd Itself liz the lake.
The burned district includes the south
portion of the third ward. and i'll IL gcil-
cral way is bounded on the north by
DutIalO street, on the east by Lake
Michigan and on the south and west
by the river on East Water street
Here is where the blaze started TIE
blaze extended Il little north OF Buffalo
street, nearly to Detroit In this block,
however, there were several buildings
that escaped. The streets burned en-
tIrcly and on which no house or build
mgS are left standing are Buffalo,
Chicago, Menominee, CorcOran Avenue.
Erie, Polk, Oregon and Pierce. Besides
these East Water street is ruined from
Detroit south to the river and Broad
way. Milwaukee, jefferson. jackson,
Van Buren, and Cass, from Buffalo street
south.
While the fire was ut its tierceSt and
ut its northern limit, ald came from
outside sources. This WAS III the shape
OF two lire engines, one each troIn
NaukCslla and Racine. During the
first progress of the blaze the scene was
IndeScribably magnificent. The Sky
which had been covered With grey,
leaden-like clouds was lighted up until
the huCS 1t assumed revealed those Of
the finest sunset. The flames seemed
10 reach the very skies. Although it
WAS rapidly growing dark, the east side
OF the city was rs light as day, 50 bright
was the blaze. The electric lights as
sumCd Il blue color and seemed more
like Willo -the-wiSpS than lights which
usually illuminate Il city. From the O.
company's building, where the ire
started, flames leaped up in all direc-
tons. Here the tremen fought like
demons, knowing that ii the fire once
gained Il start, owing to the fearful
wind, nothing could save that part of
the city from obstruction. But their
efforts were in vain and the tongues Of
flame shot from the roof of buildings
and reaching across the street set fire
TO neighboring structures. From b.
Ing TO building the flames spread until
The whole block was blazing. Then Ior
Il time the tiremen seemed to get III u
advantage, and the flames disappeared
and We're succeeded by dense clc--ds OF
black smoke.
This was but momentary, and the
fire. which seemed to have gained fresh
Roadway during its temporary lull,
broke cut with increased 1ierceneSS.
The flames shot out in all directions
and sparks carried by the hurricane
landed on the roofs of buildings blocks
away. Then the tiremen saw that their
only hope lay in cutting off the blaze
III advance. Procuring dynamite they
blew up a number of buildings in the
path of the flames. but this had no
effect Fire leaned tho small I,,I,.i.,r-