Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-06-15
FARGo's TERRIBLE FIRE.
OVER 5000. 900 WORTH OF PROP
ERTY DESTROYED.
Thousands of People Rendered
Homeless and Several Lives Lost
The Work of Rebuilding will Be-
Ei0 Mt Once.

: Fargo. n. D.. Special. June S.-The
city of Fargo presents scene of woeiul
desolation. No pen picture can describe
the great devastation by the fire Gend.
and the people are in despair. The vesy
heart of the business portion of the city
has been totally DESTROYED and licked
clean off the earth. The proud business
blocks, bar Ks. stores. in fact every bulll-
ing that was a source of any pride to
the people. is now smoldering in ruins.
One hundred and sixty acres of houses
have been burned according to estimates
of an experienced railroad contractor.
About ) o'clock "Wednesday afternoon
the FIRE alarm was sounded and it was
reported that some ashes thrown from the
Little Gem restaurant on Front street
started the fire in the rear of Herzmans
store. The department was promptly on
hand. but 4 strong wind from the south
west famed the flames until one blaze
envelopei the row of wooden structures
east of the Union block adjoining. The
gun store of the Schotields could not be
saved. the FIRE taking in the contents.
including a key Of powder and innumera-
Bile cartridges. The explosion of the pow
der was followed by the continuous and
repeated crack of the cartridges The
wind carried the fire across the street
and soon had reduced MagillS great
warehou>" TO heap of ashes. 1t then
jumped over the elevator building and
took in the frame structures occupied by
Darling. Angels. Francis & Southland.
the Plano people and Johnson Il Sons.
The fire then Went back. licked up the
telegraph office and doubled its course
and tackled the Red River Valley Nation
al bank. a brick block across the alley
from johnson & Sons. Meanwhile sparks
ha ~ cor >
places dozen times. The boys took
turns mn Sett:n: type and putting out the
blaze: Then came Morton'S office. Aliens
plumbing shop. thu Forum Tyer's and
then the loan agency brick block. In this
Were, tn" Great Northern ticket office
On the corner Of Northern Pacific avenue
and Broadway the Fargo Loan agency
o3ccUpiel the first floor and p Clapp and
NJ. \. Hlldrath had offices up stairs. In
the ba >n.nent was GprGoa'< barber shop
and bath rooms The fire destroyed the
entire block anil contents
E;aSt OF thl> WIS 4 row of wooden
buildings. all Of which went including
entire block Of machinery depots and
warehouses;. behring's. McCormick'S,
buckeye. etc. Ga t!?,. alley east of the
Kel River bank We're The offices of Joslin.
y, MI"kin>1ry. Tcrrv. Davis and /. ..
GOD. also Il nla'Limr shop. all of hich
We g II NnS thought for lime that
racr aven"c bu, it la:n,i l.: r rss'9 }sn1
Wlue street. deEouriug Tue ;rrnl hotel,
,nate> barn. the bov-lin. alley. WYNN :
billiard hall. Bowers cigar store. and IN
TO Broahway into III. Merchants bank
ana the entire east side of Broadway nm
to- the Great Northern depot and beyond
The fire also crossed BroaJwnv INFO
Hoiimes c!otA!n. store aud ran north
rapidly. ''' III
Among the Ruins.
Fargo. \. D.. Special, June S-7'ho
IRE is more disastrous in promotion to
the size of the City than the .reat chi.
caso conhagratioa. 1t originated through
the thoughtle>S act of a careless hoy ON.
ploEed IN small restaurant in the busi
ness portion OF the city. He threw hot
ashes out doors. The wind scattered the
glowing Goals far and wide and in an
instant the restaurant was in flames
linen the high wind caught burning
boards and hurled them on to the roofs
OF the business buildings. which ignited
at once. Thu fire spread with STARTLING
raplulty and inside of forty minutes half
a mile Of buildings Were ablaze. wb;Ia
the confusion was frish,ful The people
We're almost frantic. and to the general
horror OF tn" scene lightning and
thunder storm added its fury. The
Fargo hre department could not fight the
nre with any success. and the chief at
once telasraphe;! to Grand Forks and
Nahpeton for aid. These departments
responded to the appeal. but when they
arrived the picture of deSolation was
complete. Towards daylight the fire
burned Itself out for lack of more ma
ter!aL The lightning having ceased and
all electric wires being down the city was
plunged into inky darkness, and 500
people We're cropping their way abou1
hunting for friends and shelter. Some
had succeeded in saving a few articles
OF clothing and furniture. and thes,. they
guarded until daylight came. Then be-
gan the search for temporary accommo-
datiouS.
james J. Hilrs Generosity.
Just in III" nick Of TING came Il tnle.
gram rom James J. Hill instructine thar
the Grand Pacific hotel just ACROSS tn.
river in N"or!it'ad be opened and placed
at the '!i>'n'SSl Of the unfor,nnares. 1t
WIS promptly filed with homeless nee.
Dle. who but Il few hours before had
been happy AMI we'll 10 do citizens. TIL,
Great Northern N once rendered the Us.
OF Eftv box cars tor storage purposes
and tonight these are almost filed
Only one fatality has been reported.
One mar VAS seen to 20 into the thirc
story Of a br!h!n@ to rescue his goods.
The block was all abiaze and ne paid
no heel to cau,iouary cries. The crowd
waited for him TO reappear. but he
was seen no more. No one in town TO-
night knows who the man was, and it
will probably never be known. for that
buildln: is now a heap of hot embers.
The citizens say the fire spread with
the most astonishing speed. The houses
caught so rapidly that the people were
thrown into drest confusion. and they
have not yet recovered. The city it en-
tirely upset. 1t is practically a dead
letter. No power on earth sOuld have
saved it in the face of the gale that was
blowing. The Fargo Forum and the Re
publican offices We're among the first to
CO. The fire performed several queer
feats. notably that Of leaving the Head
quarters hotel untouched 1t was across
the street from where the fire began and
is vcritabie fire trap. Some of the
homeless are now duartered there. others
are with neighbcrs and still more are
lodged in fat cars. deserted buildings,
otc Nnnrhaaf psnororSly ny,.,,