Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1892-11-04
MILLIONS in ASHES
A DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION AT
MILWAUKEE.

WICVVHoN11'
Twenty Blocks in the southeastern Por-
ti.n of the City 81 Mass of Kuins-Five
Lives Lost and Seven Millions of Prop
erty Destroyed.
M1Lw wAuKEE, Oct. 29.-Morning broke
ON a scene Of desolation such as the
Cream City has never before witnessed
during its corporate existence. Twenty
blocks, twelve hours before covered with
magnificent buildings devoted to manu-
facture, trade and commelce, were
mass of smouldering ruins, and whese
500 residences, the homes of 5000 people
stood, there was nothing save piles OF
blackened bricks and smoking rafters.
The loss i'll money will probably not
exceed "a 900, 900, Oh which there Isl
about 81, SOC, 900 insurance; hHt the col
lateral damages, the !.mmense shock to
business, and the Inconvenience and
positive suffering entailed upon resi-
dents and business men cannot be COM
puted. Every effort will be made, how
ever, to relieve distress, and even while
the contiagration was at its height,
Mr.. ?. Bacon, president Of the chamber
of commerce, issued IL call for meeting
of citizens of Milwaukee at the chamber
of commerce at 8 o'clock a. H., to take
measures for the relief of people
left homeless and destitute by the fire.
The call was not addressed to the mem-
bers of the chamber of commerce only,
but to all citizens who are ready to join
in this work of imminent necessity.
Hundreds of families are left shelterless
and with nothing but the clothing worn
when they fed from the swift pulsnit OF
the devastating flames. Immediate
measures fcr their relief must be adopted
and the meeting showed all attendance
and spirit worthy of the city. Prompt
and generous action was demanded to
prevent great numbers of worthy people
from suffering for lack of food and
shelter.
The Germania society also held a
meeting and decided to turn over all
the money received at its fair next week
to the citizens committee to be used for
the benefit Of the fire sufferers.
Half the Third Ward Gone.
Mayor Somers said: cat least one
dali of the Third ward is burned away,
and l think that fully three thousand
people are homeless. The loss cannot
be estimated We are especially thank
full to the cities Of Chicago, kenosha,
Racine and Oshkosh for their prompt
aid i'll sending fire apparatus. The citi-
zens have organized relief committee. y
The history of the fire, great as it was
may be briefly recounted as follows:
There We're several alarms during the
afternoon for fires, all OF them the Re
suit of the heavy gale of wind that
sprang up shortly before noon and in
creased until at o'clock it reached {
velocity of about fifty miles per hour
Between and o'clock there We're five
alarms, and the fire department, includ
ing tho fire tug, was called i'll various
parts of the city, when shortly before
o'clock an alarm was sent in from thu
box at the corner of Detroit and Eas
. Water streets. 1t was for fire in tn,
Union Oil Company's store at 275 Eas
Water street, situated on the west sid
of the street about midway betwee.
: Detroit and Buffalo streets, the rear o
store being on the river. The fire orig
mated from an explosion of something
in the cellar. Fed by the intiammabl
stock it soon spread through the thre
upper floors. 1t was ten minutes be
fore the first fire engine coming
from a smaller fire some distance away
had reached the scene, and by that tim
the entire building was in flames. From
this point the flames spread until til
lower part of the Third ward wa
burned over, causing Il loss of nearl
$1,000, 900. The insurance is estimates
at 81, 500, GOO. At least three thousan
people are homeless.
At $40 Il. Ill. it was announced tina
the fire WINS under control, havin
burned over about twenty squares, dc
stroying about sixty stores and factorie
and about five hundred residences.
Loss of Life Very Small.
, Notwithstanding the marvellous rapiG
ity with which the fire spread and til
numerous fall OF brick walls the injurie
!. and loss of life We're surprisingly small
and it is believed that not more tina
four or five persons lost their lives, a
/. though the removal of the debris ma
disclose other victims. Those known
= be killed are: Henry Pruddenbuck an
Charles Stahr, firenen; Mrs. Callahan,
\ widow, and an unknown woman, VIII
was suffocated by smoke. There al
many persons at the emergency hospita
| Two of these are seriously injured an
may die.
Militia C ,lled Out.
Measures have been taken to stop tt
depredations of thieves who alway
hunt the scene of fires. The militia al
patrolling the district. Fifty membe,
of the Milwaukee Light Battery +
I sponded promptly to the call for assis
ance. Nearly as many more from IL
Light Horse squadron, and enough
infantry to make up total of $50 me-
are on duty. If it is found necessa,
Governor Peck will order out addition
troops. The city police are also to
kept ON duty night and day, and alt
gether the police arrangements are e
= cellent. The work of clearing aws
debris preparatory to rebuilding, will
commenced at once. Already maj
property owners are looking over Il
ruins, and as soon as the bricks ha
cooled sufficiently to be handled hu
dreds of lauorers will be set to wo
removing the rubbish, and within fe
days new buildings will be rising fro