The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-11-02
IN ASHES.
The City Of Milwaukee Swept BY
a Terrible COnaagratiOn.
Whole Blocks Of Buildings and
Three Hundred Dwellings,
are Destroyed.
A Swath Half Mile Wide and Mile
Long Burned in Few Hours-Four
Fatalities Reported-Loss Esti-
mated at $40, 100000.


MILWAUKEE, Oct. 29.-All the south
ern section of Milwaukee is in ruins.
Never In the previous history of the
city has such calamity befallen it.
Acres of land, embracing the great man
ufacturing districts of the city, have
been devastated and now lie q mass Of
smouldering ruins. Almost the entire
southern division from East Water
street to the lake has been consumed.
Commencing at $3.50 o'clock last even.
ing in an oil establishment on East
Water street. next the river, the flames,
driven by the fearful hurricane which
was blowing, spread with frightful
rapidity to the lake, over half mile to
the east 1t is utterly impossible to es-
timateuthe loss with any degree Of ac-
curacy. Even complete list Of the big
business houses cannot 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 dc.
stroyed. As 1t is the loss will probably
amount to $50, 1000, 900 or s25, 900, 900.
The tract burned is over half a mile
wide east and west, and a mile north
and south, commencing in the estab-
lishment OF the Union Oil Company at
275 East Water street. The fire was
burning fiercely when the city depart
ment reached the scene Owing to the
hurricane 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 everything
in their power, risking their lives in the
burning buildings and endeavoring by
tearing down blocks in advance of the
path of the fire to check it. This was
In vain, and all night long the flames
continued along their way.
From the establishment of 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 lines being in the oil estab-
lishment while one line extended di-
rectly east to the lake, the other run
ming to the lake in southerly direc-
ton through immense factories from
four to seven stories high which
were supposed to be fire proof, the
flames spread with as much ease as
through the frame cottages which they
attacked farther east. After wiping
n. ,,-hnlnaa1n nuNa IL
lishments the fire found easy prey in
the scores of blocks filed with frame
houses which extended east of Milwau'
kee street.
From these the flames leaped to the
freight house Of the Milwaukee, Lake
Shore & Western. These caught on the
extreme southern end and n moment
later was ablaze their whole length,
over two blocks Adjoining the depot'
were the freight yards OF the same
railroad, as well as the Chicago 8
Northwestern. These yards were fillet
with hundreds Of loaded cars all oi
which were quickly consumed. AS soor
as IL was seen that the yards were In
the path OF the holocaust score oi
switch engines were set at work to on
deavor TO get the loaded cars out OF the
yard. The men worked bravely anC
succeeded in removing some Of the
trains, but they could only take then
farther south, the yards TO the north
being blocked.
The fire was confined to one block or
East Water street until o'clock, wher
II leaped across the street and began
rapid march toward Lake Michigan
six blocks away, cutting down in shor
order the following stores:
L. Doehem & Co., wholesale drugsi NJ
Block, wholesale liquors; Bub & Kipps
seven story building, furniture factory
Round, PeclSham & Co., wholesale gro
GERS; Jacob Wellauer & Co., wholesal,
grocers; johnson Bros, cracker factory
and the National Distilling Company.
The entire lower part of the Thirt
ward, inhabited largely by poor Irisl
families, is devastated. About 300 cot
tages have been destroyed and the poo
people are wandering about the street
loudly lamenting their losses.
Up to o'clock only two fatalitie
had been reported-one fireman killeC
and woman suffocated. The ga
works were entirely destroyed and fre
quent explosions occurred that shool
the whole city. Many of the scenes o
the great fire of 1871 in Chicago wer
enacted, the dynamite explosions, tn
leaping flames and crumbling walls nd
ding TO the terror Of the situation.
Engine house No. 10 has been burnet
and five other engines belonging to tn
local department were literally melte'
In an alley before they could be draw
out The total loss will approximat
go, 900, 900.
UP TO midnight the fatalities mum
bered four Two Of them were iremel
and the other two women, but the nam
Of only one Il known. He was Henri
Peddenbrush, Of engine company No
and was crushed by falling wall
At 1 o'clock q. IN. the FIRE was prett
we'll under control, or rather IL hai
burned TO the limits, the river marlrin,
tho southern limit of the burned district
rive Mes Boaided.