Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-06-16
VIEWING THE RUINS.
That Is About All the Unfortunate
Fargo People Gould Do
Yesterday
The Losses Estimated At Over 49,
100000 with Insurance of
100000
The Burned District a Mile Long
And From One To Six Blocks
Wide
Arrangements Being Made By Many
For the Rebuilding of Business
Blocks.
The Day After.

for faTRO PoOPAo' AAo! u" WI ooAA>
ms matters to attend to. Those who
vereb ur ned out were anxiously viewing
the ruins, specializing upon the condi-
tion of valuable papers in the safes and
vaults and contemplating future action.
Only a few vaults we're opened to-day,
and with one exception, were found all
right. The vault in the Northern Pacific
elevator building was cracked by the
heat and falling walls and all valuable
papers of the Loan company we're ruined.
Fargo presents a sorry spectacle to-day.
Standing on Front street and looking
uorthward as far as the eye a extend
there is nothing but ruins and heaps of
machinery. In n warehouse alone
the McCormick-was stored $4,000
worth of farm machinery, mostly har-
yesters and mowers Not a cent of in.
surance. The Mccormick people carry
their own insurance all over the coun-
try. In a radius of three blocks, along
the Northern Pacific, where most Of the
warehouses were located, nothing now
remains Of something over half a million
dollars worth of machinery but a shape.
less mass of iron and steel. Only those
who we're eye.witnesses can realize the
awful fury of yesterdays conflagration.
The flames went before the terrific gale
like a cloud and the intense heat made
all efforts on the part of the fire COM
panies mere child's play. There was a
perfect rain of fire and blazing brands.
two and three feet in length, fell like
the debris ID a cyclone all over the north
half of the city. While the Magill
warehouse was burning no less than a
dozen other buildings, three and four
blocks distant, were also burning. The
few small streams of water thrown upon
the fire seemed to add to it's fury instead
Of checking it. Solid brick blocks melted
away as quickly as wooden buildings,
and that magnificent hostelry, the Col
umb,a, was completely Quilted in less
than twenty minutes from the time it
caught. Scarcely anything was thus
saved because until the building
actually caught fire no n would be-
lieve it possible that so isolated q block
could burn. But the flames from the
Rowarth building leaped across the
street and a solid. sheet Of flame seemed
topenetrate every window of the hotel,
and so the fire fend sped on its way of
destruction throughout the city. The
saving of the Headquarters hotel ard
lerxas' store was due to fate, not to
any exertions put forth by human hands.
Compared with the size Of the city the
Fargo blaze was much larger than the
Chicago fire.
The beautiful north side school build
ing, although isolated, burned as rapidly
as buildings in the business district and
residences for blocks, extending north
and east of the Great Northern depot
melted away under the rain of fire like
chunks of ice in a July sun
Harry O'Neil is one of the heavy
loosers among the old timers. As he
viewed the ruins to-day he exclaimed:
We'll, boys, a few Of us remember when
all Of this was virgin prairie. soil. We
built her up once and will do it again."
The Red River National bank tele-
graphed to Grand Forks to-day for face
brick and will begin rebuilding at once.
At a meeting Of the chamber Of COM
merce to-day q large sum was raised to
assist the needy who have been burned
out of house and home.
The loss is estimated at 100000
and the insurance will not reach
100000.
That there was not loss of life and no
serious casualties seems almost in
credible.
Mr.. and Mrs. Tubbs we're absent in
Chicago, and only a little Of their silver.
ware and personal effects were saved.
The Forum saved a little type, az did
also the Republican, but the Common.
wealth lost everything. All the news-
papers are now being published at the
Argus office.
The Headquarters hotel is now the
oest Fargo has, and they are glad to
have that much.
Yesterdays fire proves the utter
'nadequacy of the water supply, but a
river could not have quenched the thirst
VI the demand yesterday.
bishop Walker lost a library Of over
4'oU valuable and rare books.
Generally speaking the insurance was
hght, and while there is a hopeful feel.
ing on all sides, it is admitted that many
VI The old timers will be ruined and new
men will build up on their ruins.
". w. Francis house q mile north ol
the city caught on fire several times
Out hard work saved it. Hector's barr