The Portland daily press., 1892-10-29
CHICAGO'S CONFEDERATION
RECALLED.
Explosions, Leaping Flames and Fall.
ing Walls Added to the Terror.
NINE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THE
COST--HUNDREDS HOMELESS.

Firemen Stuck to Their Posts Invisible in
the Flame and Smoke, Except When
the Hurricane Which Was Blowing
Swept the Curtain Aside-Brave
Switchmen Dashed Through Flame
to Save Trains--Hundreds of Poor
People Fled in Terror as Their Homes
We're Swallowed Up.
MILWAUKEE. October 2S.-A fire
which started at $50 this evening in the
Union Oil Company's store on East
Water street, soon threatened to destroy
the entire wholesale business section OF
Milwaukee, east of the Milwaukee river,
below Huron street. For an hour the
fire department struggled bravely with
the flames, which were famed by gale
blowing at the rate of SO miles an hour.
Chief Foley kept the fire confined to one
block on East Water street until 7
o'clock, when it got away from him and
leaped across the street and began
rapid march toward Lake Michigan, six
blocks away. Ats o'clock the flames
had crossed Broadway, between Buffalo
and Detroit streets, taking. numerous
wooden structures, then advancing to
Milwaukee street At S15 the flames
had reached jefferson street, three
squares from where the fire broke out,
and are now burning private residences.
The loss will foot up fully $500,000 and
perhaps more.
S.35 %. m.-The fire is still spreading.
The city is at this hour in total dark
ness, the gas works having been burned.
The course of the fire changed at S.15
and it seems likely to consume the ter
ritory between Broadway and Jefferson
streets to the East and West Branch of
the Milwaukee river. The fire has
reached the river and the big Angus
Smith
Grain Elevators Are Next to Fall.
At Broadway bridge, the fire has just be-
gun and it is feared that portion of the
south side in the ship yard district will
be licked up. The fire department,
known all over the country as one of the
best equipped and disciplined, is power
less to stay the progress OF the flames.
Not only is the fire advancing with the
wind oni it's mission of destruction, but it
has also begun to back up at the point
where it began and where there is no
means of staying it's progress. The loss
threatens to reach into millions. The
freight yards of the Chicago and North
western road have been reached and
whole train of cars loaded with mer-
chandise, like stock and grain, are burn
ing.
9.O4 D. m.-The fire is still burning
fiercely. There are several fires in other
parts of the city and no engines to re-
spond. The entire lower part of the
third ward, inhabited largely by poor
Irish families, is devastated. About 800
cottages have been destroyed and the
poor people are wandering about the
streets loudly lamenting their loss.
Some plan of relief for them will no
doubt be made. but at this time the peo-
pie seem to be stunned and doing moth
ing. Alarms are coming in every few
separated and it is thought that fire bugs
are helping in the work of destruction.
The elegant residence of l.. f. Hodges,
member of the board of trade, at Ninth
and Cedar streets, two miles from the
fire district, has been destroyed. An
alarm has just been rung in from the
House of Correction. Only two fatali-
ties have thus far been reported. The
gas works are burning and frequent ex-
blossoms occur that shake the whole
city.
The Department Is Using Dynamite
in its effort to stop the advance
of the flames and several buildings have
been blown up. Two engines have been
brought back to the point where the fire
began and are now trying to keep the
flames from eating their way north on
East Water street at Detroit street. The
wind is still blowing q gale and blows
the water from the nozzles into harm
less spray. A Herculean effort is being
made at the Gugler lithographing estab-
lishment to save that building and the
block TO the north. Though the wind is
blowing away from the Sentinel office ON
Lower Broadway, between Huron and
Detroit streets. the flames are slowly but
surely eating their way towards it and
the wealth contained in the vast whole
sale houses in the vicinity.
Many of the scenes of the great fire OF
1871 in Chicago are being re-enacted. Dy-
Mantle explosions, leaping flames and
crumbling walls add to the terror of the
homeless third warders. A report comes
from the life-saving station that four OF
it's crew, who came up Broadway to lend
assistance to the fire department. have
been
Buried by Falling Wall
at Weisel & Vilters's machine shops. y
bugler has just passed down Broadway
calling together members of the Light
Horse Squadron and Fourth Battalion.
They will assist the police in guarding
the property.
One engine from Racine and one from
Waukesha have arrived and are located
along Huron street. where another WING