The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-29
RAGING B|LLOWS OF FIRE.
Sweep Over the Business Portion
Of Milwaukee, Doing Immense
Damage
All the Water Of the River In
sufficient to Quench the
Flames.
Ihe Losses Estimated Mt Not Less Than
Se,oOO,O00-Acreso of Black, smoul-
dertng Ruins.

ward the Menominee river and nothing
| could stay their resistless rush. Dynamite
was nsed, but without effect. Mighty billows
OF flame swept over the blocks of
buildings, jumped across street and
| leaped over the river. Thousands Of peo-
pie viewed the grand spectacle. All sorts
OK conveyances were hurrying about the
third ward, loaded with the belongings of
the people on whose homes the flames were
rushing. The entire fire department was
powerless. Chicago, Racine and other cities
were asked for assistance and by ten O'Clock
engines and firemen from out of town were
| beginning to arrive.
| More than eleven blocks of solid terri
tory, including most of the extensive whole
sale district had been burned oyer. Nearly
seventy buildings, two-thirds of which were
| frame residences, faded into smoke aa fast
as tissue paper.
The fire started between 53O and $40
O'Clock in 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
out, 30 1t was fifteen minutes before re-
sponse was made to an alarm from the
corner Of Detroit and East Water streets.
In short time seven or eight streams
were directed upon the flames. There was
a series of explosions, but in a half
hour after fire tug and dozen engines
| were playing upon the fire. The belief was
| general that the flames were under control.
1t seemed as if the very current of the Mil
wauhee river was being emptied upon the
red brick block. 1t was stated that the fire
was caused by the explosion of an oil bar
rel. How is not known.
| Thousands OF people. attracted by the
continued alarms, reached the conclusion
that it was not much of a fire after all and
went home. That was about $40 p. m.
| Only black smoke issued from the buildings
| Fifteen minutes later the tired fremen be-
gan to feel the enemy getting out of their
graap. Renewing their efforts they fought
with, desperation. 1t was useless
The gale blowing fifty miles an
hour, driving the scorching heat and smoke
| of bArning oil out into the faces of the fire.
men, defying all the water in the Milwau-
kee river. and seeming only to gain in
power as the stream was emptled into its
jaws. 1t was too much for them. The fire
gained a footing in the adjoining store of
Do-emen & Co. 1t was then that it got be-
yond all human efforts to stay it, At seven
o'clock the big upholstery factory of the
way, almost full block away, begun to
blaze. The fire had started with the win d
| in the northwest, but it now veered almost
due east and merchants in the business Sec
tion of the east side grew fearful. The
flames had jumped across the stores on the
taken q newer grip in the big Bubb & Kipp
factory.
Five minutes more and Jacob Wel!auer
d Go. q Wholesale grocery store op the east
side of Broadway, directly opposite Bubb &
Kipp's, was in flames. Is seemed as if
mountain of fire rolled across Broadway.
In an instant a building on East Broadway
was in flames ana nexta rolling wave of fire
swept across the street and descended on
the buildings opposite. In moment they
were wrapped in flames.
A thousand streams of water could not
stay the confaRration in it's march of de-
struction iowa d the lake. People in that
part of the Third ward realized that their
homes were doomed. There was stam-
pede of residents into the street. all armed
with furniture. oats. dogs and all manner
of household utensils and bedding. and We
hicles Of every description were hurrying
away with the belongings of the people
whose homes were soon to be in ruins.
Meanwhile the flames had gone over the
ground they formerly missed in the store
of J. P. Kissinger & Co.. and the Milwau.
kee Art Glass works, opposite the block in
which it had originated. The Wellauer
block, seven stories high, wss soon in
v,
vacant building owned by the Pfister d
Vogel Leather company and the wholesale
grocery store of Boundv. Peckham Il Co.,
and all on Broad avenue. The next build
ing to succumb WAS the National Distillinp
company, the whisky trust supply point of
the state, on Buffalo street. The wind was
still carrying a whirlwind of ssethine flame
on toward Lake Michigan, in direct line
with Its starting point and the scramble
began.
Chief of Police Jansen ordered the en-
tire force to the fire. and they assisted in
getting ous the furniture and household
goods of the luckless families, who were
forced to flee from the path cut ont by the
flames. dozen frame buildings along
Milwaukee and jefferson streets. between
Detroit and Chicago, as we'll as those on
Buffalo ami Chicago streets, were licked up
as If they had been outlined on paper.
Suddenly the wini swept around Ms m
expectsdly as before. While it was north
east when the frat alarm rang, il was now
almost due south, cutting out broad ave-
nue. of destruction toward the Milwaukee
river and Lake Michigan. In its path lay
the big freight sheds and yards of the Chi
ca2o and Northwestern railroad, together
with the round house and it's valuable
contents of rolling stock. The flames soon
spread all over the yards. burning freight
cara and everything before it.
Having cut it's path over TO Jackson
stTeeb from DOORWAY TIC utS WAS now
following the south wind down Broadway,
down Jefferson street, down Milwaukee
street. Along Broadway it swept to the
Wesel u Bolter Manufacturing company's
plant. When it reached the Weisel II Boil
ter plant the department had prepared 10
cut 1t off with dynamite. Three kegs were
plaeed in the building, having been stored
there TO await the coming of the flames.
As each went off in close succession the cry
went up that the gas works had exploded.
1t was about 9:.so O'Clock when tho first
building on the northeast corner of the
Milwaukee Gas oompany's plant began TO
burn. The gas went out in MANY parts of
the city and it was feared the works were
doomed, but at IL O'clock the great oil
tanks We're still intact. Bethal home
caught fire soon after. Arshl Il Hammers
livery stable. on Broadway, containing 100
horses was in the path of the flaming
cyclone. Some of the horses were taken
away, while number stampeded. The
Laura Catlin kindergarten also succoumbed
despite the dynamite.
Around Erie strest the George Tospper