The Red Cloud chief., 1893-08-18
FIRES COSTLYHAyO(
OVER A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH o.
PROPERTY GOES UP IN SMOKE.
a Kind Providence and Not the Fire DE
partment saved tho Greater Portion Of
the Manufacturing and Resident Ppr.
lions Of the East Side Of Minneapolis.

4 MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 1i.-Over a million
dollars worth of property went up in
names, Thomas Falcon and an unknown
child were killed, $50 houses burned and
at least 800 persons are rendered home.
less. This is the record made by the
destroying element In the short space of
TWO hours. A Waterman saw q small
blaze on the river side Of j. b. Clarke e.
Co.'S boz factory on the south end of
Nicollet island at the head OF st.
Anthony falls. BY the time the depart
ment had reached the flames, famed by
a furious south wind, had gained such
headway that all the firemon could do
' was to turn their attention to adjoining
property. Where the fire first started is
a mystery. Nearly all the structures in
this vicinity were Of wood, dry as finder
and made splendid fuel for the flames.
Clarke's box factory was doomed before
ever a stream Of water was thrown upon
II. Next to 1t on the north Lenhart's
wagon works and the Cedar Lake ice
house were wiped out of existence.
Farther north were Lintges & Connell's
boiler works and here the heaviest lost
on the island took place. This firm had
. stock valued at $50, 900 and not a cent
Z Of insurance.
Fire Carried Half . Mile.
While this fire was at its height a
spark carried high in the air alighted on
Boom island, nearly half q mile above
the fire on Nicollett island. This island
is occupied as a wood yard by the lum-
Der firm Of Nelson, Tenney & Co. It
was this spark that caused the greatest
loss. Quickly Jumping across the small
stretch Of water surrounding tho island
from the main land, the flames gained a
footing in Nelson. Tenney & Co.'s lum-
Der yard, where there was some $1,000
feet of lumber. The fire fairly walked
through this yard and into that of E.
' w. Backus & Co., adjoining. BY this
time it was impossible to stop it, even
had the whole fire department been on
hand. Great embers flew through the
air and started fires many blocks beyond
the places where tho firemen were at
work. Many wooden structures, gen.
orally occupied by the employees of the
mills, were destroyed. Few owned
their dwellings and their principal losses
will be their personal effects.
People Forced Into the River.
Hundreds of people are either the
recipients Of charity or are sleeping in
the open air. Many saved only the
clothes on their backs. Between the
Plymouth and Twentieth avenue. north,
bridges, on the east side Of the river,
ots out into the river q point of land on
' -yiich some 100 people, principally lab
6rcrs and saw mill hands, reside. The
fire soon cut of their escape by land and
they were in immediate danger Of being
burned to death. No boats were at
hand and the residents were forced into
the river in order to save their lives.
All this time great crowds lined the
bridges and watched a fiat boat making
slow Roadway toward. the unfortunate
people. The heat was most intense and
many of the men in the water were com
spelled to duck their heads under the
water to prevent the flames from
scorching their faces and heads. One
brave fellow stripped himself, and UNI
aid d, brought a number Of his neigh
b across the river before the fat boat
a.. d when all were rescued.