The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-06-15
.FARGo'S TERRIBLE FIRE.
OVER S:::,0OO,OOO WORTH OF PROP
ERTY DESTROYED.

OVER S3,0OO,OOO WORTH OF PROP
ERTY DESTROYED.
Theus:,nsls of People Rendered
Homeless and Several Lives Lost
The Work Of Rebuilding VIII Be
gin at Once.
Fargo, n d., Special, June s.: The
city OF Fargo presents a scene Of woc1nl
;desolatlon. No pen picture can describe.
the great devastation by the lire 'tlend.
and the people are in despair. TIE veIy
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 bU'!'-
ing that was u source of any pride to
the people, is now smoldering in 1uins.
One hundred and sixty acres of houses
have been burned according to estimates
Of en- experienced railroad contractor.
About 3 o'clock Wednesday afternoon
the fire alarm was sounded. and 1t was
reported that some ashes thrown from the
Little Gem restaurant on Front street
started the fire in the rear of Herzman's
store. The department was promptly on
hand, but strong wind from the south
west famed the flames until one blaze
enveloped the row OF wooden structures
east Of the Union, block adjoinilng. The.
saved, the fire taking in the. contents,
including a key Of powder and innunlera-
bic cartridges. The explosion Of the pow.
der was followed by, the continuous and
| wind carried the fire across the street,
and soon had reduced Magill's great
| warehouse to heap of ashes. It then
Jumped over the elevator building and
took in the frame structures occupied by
Darling, Angels, FRANCIS & Southard,
| The fire then went back. licked up the
telegraph Office and doubled its course
and tackled the Red River Valley, Nation
al bank S brick block across the alley Ley
had set the Forum Office Oh fire in dozen
places a dozen times. The boys took
turns in setting type and putting out the
blaze; Then came Morton's office, Aliens
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 P. Clapp and
NJ. A. Hildreth had Offices up stairs. In
and bath rooms. The fire destroyed the
entire block and contents.
hast OF this was a row of wooden
buildings, all of which went, including
| jewell ). lCklOu 5, f1uueDrlnC anu the
entire blocksof machinery. depots and
warehouses. behring's, McCormick's $,
Buckeye, ETC. On the alley east of the
Red River bank were the offices of Joslin
MMc asj 7 Terry, Davis and g. p 2
went. It was thought for time that
/, the fire could be stopped at Northern
> Pacific avenue, but it leaped across that
, wide street, deyouring the Grand hotel
! Coates barn, the bowling alley, Wynn's
hill arI hall -:
, to Broadwa into the Merchants bank
! and the entire east side of Broadway W
: to the Great Northern depot and beyond
y The fire also crossed Broadway int
i Holmes clothing store and ran nort]
r rapidly.
q Among the Ruins.
Fargo. N. D., Special, June 9Th
fire is more disastrous in proportion t.
the size of the city than the great Chi
J. cago conaagration. It originated throug
n the thoughtless act of careless boy en-
Re ployed in a small restaurant in the bus
e ness portion of the city. He threw he
4 ashes out doors. The wind scattered tn
. glowing Goals far and wide and in a
IS instant the restaurant was in fame!
N Then the high wind caught burnin
ct boards and hurled them on to the root
ID of the business buildings, which ignite
u at once. The fire spread with startlin
~ rapidity and inside of forty minutes ha
1t a mile of buildings were ablaze, Will
~ the confusion was frightful. The Poop
" were almost frantic, and to the gener;
n horror of the. scene a lightning an
IL thunder storm added it's fury. ~
I'd I'd Fargo fire department. could not fight IL
n fire with any success, and the chief
e. once telegraphed to Grand Forks ar
N Wahpeton for aid. These department
responded to the appeal, but when the
arrived the picture of desolation W:
complete. Towards daylight the Fl
burned itself out for lack of more m
terial. The lightning having ceased al
all electric wires being down the city w
plunged into inky darkness, and 1,5(
people were cropping their way abo
hunting for friends and shelter. Sor
had succeeded in saw ing few, articl
Of clothing and furniture, and these tn
guarded until daylight came. Then (
gan the search for temporary accomm
dations.
~. James j. HIPS Generosity.
NJ Just in the nick of time came te
OF gram from James J. Hill instrucuing til
~ the Grand Pacific hotel just across
~ ~ river in Moorhead be opened and plac
est at the disposal Of the unfortunaJes
pie WIS promptly filled with homeless p
on ole. who but few hours before b
lat been happy and we'll to do citizeus. 7
Ell Ell Great Northern at once rendered the I
on on Of fifty box cars for, storage purpos
Of and tonight these are almost fill
to Only one fatality has been report
,lth One man was seen to go into the til
her story of building to rescue his goo
re- The block was al ablaze and ne p
nu- no heed to cautionary cries. The GRO
on waited for him to reappear, but
was seen no more. No one in town
night knows who the man, was, and
Lrk- will probably never be known, for tt
all building. is now a heap, of hot embf
hey The citizens say the fire spread "
api- the most astonishing speed. The hou
eat caught so rapidly that the people W
nds thrown into direst confusion, and t
nall have not vet recovered. The city it
,i6c tirely upset. It is practically a d
rth- letter. No power on earth sould b
ked saved it in the face of the gale that ,
ntal blowing. The Fargo Forum and the
of publican offices were among the first
go. The fire performed several gu
| fc ,,o+o hlv that Of laayino the. He