Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-11-04
A SIO,OOO,0OO BLAZE.
CITY OF MILWAUKEE, SUFFERS A
SEVERE SCORCHIN0.
The Center of the City Laid In Ashes by
the Fire Fiend, Aided by Fearful
Wind---six Lives Lost.

The Cream City - Milwaul1ee-has
been visited by the greatest contlagra-
ton in the northwest since the famous
and memorable Chicago fire. An entire
section of the city of over one square
mile in area is now in ashes
The fire commenced in the establish
ment of the Union Oil company at 265
East Water street The fire was burn
ing fiercely when the city department
reached the scene. Owing to the hur-
Iicane that was blowing at 40 miles an
hour the men were almost unable to
do anything and for any practical re-
suits might as well have done nothing.
From East Water street, where the
blaze started, the path of the fire was
the path of an immense V, the con-
Meeting point of the two bars being in
the oil establishment, while one line
extended directly east 10 the lake. the
other running to the lake in a sOutherly
direction.
Through immense factories from four
to seven stories high, which were sup
posed to be tireproof, 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 filled
with frame houses which extends east
of Milwaukee street. From these the
flames leaped to the freight houses of
the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western.
These caught on the southern end and
in moment were ablaze along their
whole length, over two blocks. Adj
joining were the freight yards of the
l.. 4
cago & Northwestern. These yards
were filled with hundreds of loaded
cars, all of which were quickly con-
sumad.
Then followed the destruction of the
gas works and the explosion of the
three big storehouses. This with the
cutting off of electric wires by the fire
left the larger portion of the city in
darkness, or what would have been
darkness but for the brilliant glare of
the demon flames. Over 800 dwellings
of poor families were destroyed and
they were obliged to spend the night
in the best shelter they could find.
During the course of the fire a number
of barns and large livery stables were
burned. These were filled 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. The wires of the cleo
trio street railways were down and the
telephone company's system pros
| trated.
The fremen exhausted their efforts
and battled manfully, but it was inn
possible to get mastery of the fire fend
| which rode on with the violent winds
almost directly east, tapping up block
after block in such an alarming success
sion that all efforts of the fire depart
ment were almost futile. kilograms
were quickly dispatched to Chicago,
Racine and nearer cities for aid, all of
which responded promptly, bringing
| fire engines and men to assist in the
dire calamity, but all effort was with
! out avail and the fire only ceased when
it had reached its limit of combustibles,
at the edge of the lake. The loss is
is placed at about $40, 100000 The
poor families who lost everything were
the worst sufferers.
Just how many lives were lost is not
known, but the captain of the life
saving station reported that four of his
! men had been buried beneath falling
wall on Broadway as they were going
| along the street in the endeavor TO
| lend assistance. Another fireman is
known TO have been killed and a
woman was suffocated to death.