Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-10-29
S9,OOO,OOO.
Milwaukee Suffers an Awful Loss By Fire-Hun-
dreds Of Buildings Burning and Showers Of
Sparks and Burning Embers Carried For Blocks
and Dropped Down to Start New Fires

MILWAUKEE,, Wis, October 2S.-Mil-
waukee was swept by the most disastrous
confederation in its history tonight.
With the wind blowing gale OF cyclonlc
force the first blaze started in the I'M
rnense wholesale Oil warehouse. t'iremen
were powerless TO stay the spread OF the
flames. To make matters worse the city
was attacked on all sides almost slmul-
taneously. The alarms came within NJ
teen minutes after the first alarm from the
oil warehouse, but these were attacks tnat
had to be met and tue hre department,
which could otherwise have been concen-
trated on the first fire, was divided through
different parts Of the city.
At one time between 6:3O and the SKY
was Lit up by four 6lazes. The oil, tanned
by a gale from the northwest, began 10
gain on the weakened forces OF the hre de-
nortrnent and despite all ofarts hurst
fhran0h and crossed East Water street
and swept Into the largest wholesale paint
and oil works in the Northwest.
From that point the flames swept build
ings down. 1t was like spark following
up train of powder. A dozen big build
ings were swept away in twinkling. The
blaze, a column of hre nearly block wide,
swept northerly to the Third ward, COM
posed mostly OF frames, and right in the
Vi lUo ldulCS was luC Oie Sdo uOuoC Va
the Milwaukee Gas Company.
Over 800 frame buildings are mass OF
ruins, the inhabitants literally fleeing for
their lives and losing everything excepting
the clothes they wore and what they could
grab.
AS the Chicago fire was 10 that city tho
fire tonight was TO Milwaukee in all its
scenes and incidents. During 1t all gale
na d fad .fp
high into the air and far out into the lake.
Had the fire started in the western part Of
the city il would have cut Is swath through
il or leveled the entire city TO the ground
The fire started shortly before six o'clock
in the wholesale liquor house Of A. Blades
ton, on the west side Of East Water street
between Detroit and Buffalo streets. The
wind at the time was blowing fully 60
miles an hour.
AS the hre broke through the roof the
hurricane caught up the brands and
whirling them across the block, flung
them full on the seven-story building Of
Bubb & Kipp on the corner Of Broadway
and Buffalo streets.
Before the engines on third alarm
could arrive and come into action, the Kipp
building was mass Of flames. This was
the beginning Of the end. The sparks
were caught up by the gale and whirled
hither and yon, while the firemen. fighting
bravely in the molten shower, found their
efforts powerless 10 stay The progress Of
the flames.
The burned portion comprises the whole
sale district, the Northwestern Railroad
yards and gas works. II was also thickly
Inhabited by Italians, Poles, Germans and
Irish, most Of whom are poor and have lost
rsrf11 ha hot
s., ,0O0, 900 and 81, 100000
AT IL the fire had eaten its way down the
east side Of East Water street, changing the
triangle TO q square. Among the firms
burned out there were the American Art
Glass Company, Bleidersdorf 81 Co, Penno
& Co., and on the west side Of the street
Dohman x Co. AT the last named place
Henry Pembroke, fireman, was killed By
falling wall. Pfiguart & Co.'S store was
burned at II o'clock, and the fire spread TO
Guerneke 81 Co.'S candy mandatory on
East Water and Chicago streets.
On Broadway south Of Chicago, having
met with no resistance the fire progressed
more rapidly and the gas works were soon
burning as was the Hansen malt house
Capt. Davis of the revenue cutter johnson
in fighting the tire.
The Fourth regiment, under command OF
Colonel King, was called out 10 assist la
guard duty, as the crowds in the vIcin-
ity Of the burned district numbered thou
sands, and the police force was IN need OF
assistance The FIRE king made no invId-
ious distinction. The big trade ware
houses went with the humble home.
The only difference was that he stayed
longer with the former. The territory
burned out is in the space Of a slightly OBJ
tuse triangle, with the apex az Blades Co.'S
on the river. the upper side OF Detroit
street. the lower Menominee street 70 Mil
Wsukee. and then 70 the Milwaukee river,
and the base on Lake Michigan. Roughly
il is a space two-thirds OF mile wide and
Of mile long.
Even In the heat Of the battle with the
fire II is apparent that the heaviest suffer
ers viii be the poor people, VINO have been
driven out Of their homes. On every hand
are heard accounts OF narrow escapes,
where families lust got out with theiEltyes
without anything but the clothes they TODD
in. Ir the majority Of cases no inslfance
was carried.
-Four lives were certainly lost, and eossl- !
bIv more. Conservative insurancf LnU
estimate the lost at sg.615. 900. The ay |
that about half Of the loss IS coTere I'm |
ire IRE started between $50 :4oi
o'clock in the store ccupied by #on
oil Company. &C z75lEa8t Water tAtI
she time thres nre3 10 ynrlous vi
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