The herald., 1893-06-08
A Terrible Confagration at
Fargo, N. d.
Fully One-Half Of the Town
Laid in Ashes.
The Financial Loss Estimated at
S3,000,000.
Over Three Thousand People Homeless
The Fire Still Raging at Midnight.
Fatal Flames in San
Francisco.
BY the Associated Press.I

by Jno ABBOClabeQ fresh.i
MINNEAPOLIS, June IA special to
the Tribune from Moorhead says: Half
of Fargo is in ashes. Fire started at 8
O'Clock in restaurant on Second street,
a strong wind blowing. At4 O'Clock the
fire had reached the Great Northern
tracks, ten blocks north, quitting the en-
tire district three blocks east
to Broadway. A strong fight was
made to prevent the hsmse cross
ing to the west side of Broad
way, but by O'Clock they had crossed
in several places. The telegraph wires
were all burned 80 it is impossible to
reach Grand Forks or Hillsboro to ask
for help. Probably 1000 people are
homeless. The fire has just crossed the
river to the Moorhead side at the Fargo
roller mills, which will be burned.
Among the principal firms already
burned are Herzean, dry goods; Cranes
restaurant; Msgill, farm machinery;
Western Union Telegraph office; Nor
ton, real estate; Red River Valley Ma
tionsl bank; Daily Forum; Merchants
State bank; opera house; Tyler, real
estate ). the plants OF Mccormick and
Walter A. Wood the Minnesota Chief;
the John Deering implement warehouse;
Coles livery; Grand hotel; Flemiug's
drug store; Veder & Lewis grocery;
Christisn's drug store; Sheridan hotel;
Appel Brothers; Minneapolis Dry Goods
company; Logan's studio; American
iron works; Continental house; Van
Brunt's implement warehouse.
A strong wind made the fire travel so
quickly that hardly anything was saved.
The flames went through brick build
ings as easily as wooden ones. The loss
will be over 81 100000 as practically the
whole business distrsct of the city is
gutted already.
THE FIRE STILL BURNING.
At 10 o'clock tonight the fre is rtill
burning in q couple dozen places. The
| wind has changed to The north and is
driving the flames back on the burned
district. A block in the middle of the
city from Robert street and Front street
south, four blocks wide and ten blocks
long is blackened plain of ashes with
not dozen buildings standing. A ierce
south wind drove the flames like a
prairie fire. Brick buildings seemed to
melt away into heaps OF crumbling sand,
and it was impossible to force enough
water through the mains to fight the
fire. A conservative estimate of the loss
at 10 O'Clock is $3,000,000, with not to
exceed one quarter insurance. There is
plenty of help now, Grand Forks, Wah-
peten and Casselton having sent hose
companies.
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE HOMELESS,
Over 5000 people are tonight homeless,
and it is impossible to verify the reports
of accidents. James F. Lynn, the
8-year-old son of former alderman, is
reported burnt; also three children.
Photographer Gilbert and an unknown
man were shut off from the stairs in the
third story of the Chaplin block, while
trying to save some property.
Practically only one hotel is left in
town. The fire burnt all around it, but
so far it has been saved. Only one res
taursnt is left in town. The Moorhead
hotel is already full. A large number of
people will sleep in the court house and
school houses on the south side. Pres
ident Hill wired to open the Grand Pa
ci6c hotel at Moorhesd for the fremen.
Only two grocery stores are left in town.
HOW THE FIRE STARTED.
The fire was started by hot ashes from
the Gem restaurant thrown out behind,
igniting some loose papers back of Hose
mans dry goods store. Somebody left
the front door open and inside of two
minutes the wind drove the flames
through the buildings and out of the
roof. In the next 15 minutes the flames
ran two blocks west taking brick build
ngs and all, then jumped across the
street to McGills' big machinery ware
house. North and east of this for two
blocks each way are big machinery de-
pots, mostly two story wooden buildings,
Ind at this time of year filled to the
'oof with years supply of farm ma
,hinery for North Dakota. First on one
oof and then on another tongues of
lame broke out, as the swirling fire
lakes settled on the shingles. Inside of
lalf an hour the whole space of four
blocks was whirling fame, the prop
rty consumed being valued at $780,
90. The only machinery houses saved
re Walter A. Woods and the Monitor
'ress mill.
THE FIREMEN PowERLEss.
The fremen tried to confne the flames
o the south of Northern Pacific ave-
ue, but failed. The opera house block
7as soon burned, while the Grand hotel
Fss burning to the east. The flames
hot over Front street, burning barns
nd then the Fargo Forum Office. The
rinters had just tine to lock the forma
7hile the Office force kept back the
ames. It had been expected that the
nree-story brick building of the Red
aver National bank would arrest the
ames, but it went in 15 minutes. The
re burned rapidly up the east
de OF Broadway, but was confined to
nat aide of the street. 1t then went
trough the residence district north Of
le Great Northern track, making a
ear track five blocks wide aud 10
locks long, while isolated fires could be
ZEN over mile north, caused by flying
nders. The wind shifted again and
le flames caught the MinueApoIia and