The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-11-03
A GREAT CONFEDERATION.
rne City of Milwaukee Swept by a Storm
Of Fire.
TEE LOSS is SAID TO BE $7,OOO,OOO.

Only About $4,000, 600 Insurance
Over Three Thousand People Are
Homeless = The Firemen Were
Powerless-The Greatest Calamity
That Ever Befen this Busy CITY.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Oct. 2o.-Scorcs
of blocks of Milwaukee's largest busi-
ness firms, together with hundreds of
frame houses, were destroyed by fire
last night. Commencing at p. m. in
an oil establishment on East Water
street, near the river, the flames,
driven by the fearful hurricane which
was blowing, spread with frightful
rapidity to the lake, over half a mile
to the east. The tract burned is over
half a mile wide, east and west, and a
mile north and south. commencing in
the establishment of the Union OIL
company at 215 east Water street. The
fire was burning fiercely when the city
department reached the scene. Owing
to the hurricane that was blowing,
the firemen were utterly unable to do
anything, and for any practical re-
suits might as well have done moth
ing. In spite of this, the
MEN WORKED BRAvELY
anu OlC every JlllHP Ill lllelE power.
riSking their lives in the burning
buildings and endeayoring by tearing
down blocks in advance of the path Of
| the fire to check it, This was in vain
and all night long tire flames contifi-
ued along their way. The path of the
fire was in the shape of an immense
V, the connecting point being in the
| oil establishment. while one line eX-
| tended directly east to the lake. the
| n N n I IA l.ll in, !,
| erly direction through immense facto-
rieS from four to seven stories high
| which were supposed to be fire proof.
| These the flames destroyed with as
! much ease as though they were the
| frame cottages which they attacked
| further east.
| 1t then continued on its destructive
path licking up whole blocks at 4
| time. 1t attacked the yards of the
| Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
and half a dozen poultry cars were
| burned, fowls and ducks being roasted
| alive
| As soon as the destruction of the
| railroad yard was assured. the wind
as though prompted by malace, veered
| from west to north. Had it remained
| in the west the fire would have eX-
| hausted itself in the lake, but the fire
| department lost all control, and the
| fire began rapid march eastward to
| Lake Michigan, burning its way
| through six blocks. About 300 cottages
have been destroyed.
AT MIDNIGHT
all the Southern section of the Mil
waukee was in ruins and the dreadful
confiagratiOn still in progress
Chicago, Racine and other neigh
boring places sent loads of firc-engineS
| and tiremen, but all to no avail.
The great conflagration was under
| control at 2:30 O'Clock this morning.
| The loss is now estimated at 81 900. 900.
with about $4,000 900 insurance.
The indirect loss to commerce will
be very great and hard to estimate.
Three thousand people are homeless.
The citizens are actively at work pro-
viding for the needy. Hospitals are
filled with the injured, but 50 far as
known only four lives have been lost.
| 1t is feared, however, when the debris
| is removed that other bodies Will be
| found.
Twenty business blocks have disap-
| peared. among them the finest in the
city. Three hundred splendid resi-
dences were burned besides numerous
small shops and factories.
The gas works exploded during the
fire, eX jracting a loss Of l,OOO,O0 The
wires of the electric street railway
are down and the telephone company's
| system is Frustrated. The elecric
light service is paralyzed. Work in the
| newspaper Offices and telegraph
offices last night were done by candle
light.