Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-06-15
TERRIBLE FIRE.
OVEN 9 8 5000, 900 WORTH OF PROP
ERTY DESTROYED.
Thousands ef People Rendered
Homeless and Several Lives Lost
The Work Of Rebuilding will BE-
Gin nj Once.

-
Fargo. n. D., Special, June S.-The
city of Fargo presents a scene of woeiui
iesolation. No pen picture can describe
the great devastation by the fire hend,
| and the people are III despair. The very
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 build
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 Gn experienced railroad contractor.
About ; o'clock Wednesday afternoon
the fire alarm was n and IL 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 d strong wind from the south
west famed the flames until one blaze
| enveloped the row of wooden structures
east of the Union block adjoining. The
gun store of the Schofelds could not be
saved. the fire taking in the contents,
| including a keg 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 bad reduced Magill's great
warehouse to a heap of ashes. 1t then
| jumped over the elevator building and
took in the frame structures occupied by
Darling, Angels, Francis 4 Southland,
the Plano people and Johnson & 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
had set the Forum office on fire in a dozen
places a dozen times. The boys took
turns in setting type and putting out the
blaze. Then came Morton's office, Aliens
plumbing shop, the Forum. Tyler's and
then the loan agency brick block. In this
were the Great Northern ticket office.
On the corner of Northern Pacific avenue
and Broadway the Fargo Loan agency
occupied the first floor and T.. Clapp and
Nj. A. Hildreth had Offices up stairs. In
the basement was Gordon's barber shop
and bath rooms The fire destroyed the
entire block and contents.
East of this was a row of wooden
buildings, all of which went. including
Jewett's. Pickton's. Hildebrant's and the
entire block of machinery depots and
warehouses. behring's, McCormick's,
Buckeye. etc. On the alley east of the
Red River bank were the offices of Joslin,
Mckinstry, Terry, Davis and Z. ID.
Wood, also n machine shop, all of which
went. 1t was thought for a time that
the fire could be stopped Mt Northern
Pacific avenue. but it leapad across that
wide street. devouring the t,rand hotel.
Coates barn, the bowling alley, Wynn's
billinrd hall, Bowers cigar store. and on
to Broadway into the Merchants bank
and the entire east side of Broadway no
to the Great Northern depot and beyond.
The fire also crossed Broadway into
Holmes clothing store and ran north
rapidly.
Among the Ruins.
Fargo N N Spao;al I,r~ O uv,x
fire is more disastrous in proportion to
the size of the city than the great Chi
cago c~oniagration. 1t originated through
the thoughtless act of a careless boy EN-.
ployed in a small restaurant in the bust
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.
Then the high wind caught burning
boards and hurled them on to the roofs
of the business buildings. which ignited
at once. The fire spread with startling
rapidity and inside of forty minutes half
a mile of buildings were ablaze, while
the confusion was frightful. The people
Were almost frantic. and to the general
horror of the scene a lightning and
thunder storm added its fury. The
Fargo fire department could not fight the
fire with any success. and the chief at
once t~elegraphed to Grand Forks and
Wahpeton for aid. These departments
responded to the appeal, but when they
arrived the picture of desoiation was
complete. Towards daylight the fire
burned itself out for lack of more ma
terial. The lightning having ceased and
all electric wires being down the city was
plunged into inky darkness. and 1900
people were cropping their way about
hunting for friends and shelter. Some
had succeeded in saving a few articles
of clothing and furniture. and these they
guarded until daylight came. Then be
gan the search for temporary accommo'
dations.
james J. Hilrs generosity.
Just in the nick of time came a tele
gram from James j.. Hill instrucring tha'
the Grand Pacific hotel just across tn,
river in Moorhead be opened and placed
at the disposal of the u~nforsunates. II
was promptly filled with homeless peo
ole. who but a few hours before hat
been happy and well to do citizens. TIL
Great Northern at once rendered the Us,
of fifty box cars for storage purposes
and tonight these are almost filed
Only one fatality has been reported
One man was seen to 80 into the thir,
story of a building to rescue his goods
The block was all ablaze and ne pal,
no heed to cautionary cries. The GROVE
waited for him to reappear, but h
was seen no more. No one in town TO
night knows who the man was. and j
viii probably never be known, for tina
building is now a heap of hot embers
The citizens say the fire spread will
the most astonishing speed. The house.
caught so rapidly that the people wer
thrown into direst confusion, and the!
nave not vet recovered. The city it en-
tirely upset. 1t is practically a deat
letter. No power on earth sould hav'
saved il i'm the face of the gale that wa
blowing. The Fargo Forum and the Re
publican Offices were among the first 4
go. The fire performed several quee
feats. notably that of leaving the Head
quarters hotel untouched. 1t was acros
the street from where the fire began an,
is a veritable FIRE trap. Some of tn
homeless are now auartered there, other
are with ~neighbors and still more ar,
lodged in fiat cars. deserted buildings
etc. Moorhead generously threw opel
her doors. and in fact is turned into
refuge and hospital.
NH.u~