The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-05-24

The most destructive fire that has
listed Poston in months started Tues
day. Il little after 1 o'clock, at the
5onth End ball grounds. The scene of
the dcva,tatiOn is that section of ROx-
bury beginning or the narrow street
that = the extension of Columbus ave-
nue.. and extending to Walrole street
on the south and to the western bound.
AIRY q the ball grounds. The blaze
started, says Il dispatch, under what
are known as the 25-cent bleachers.
pat olt with a bucket of water. The
first ;ntimation the audience had that
II fire vas II progress was a thin sheet
81 smoke that curled up between the
-eats and spread ovcra space not larger
fhan 6 mans hat. The whole affair
was ioGNcG upon rs a joke by some
INSET '1:oas boys. no attempt being
mad, 10 subduc the flames. The hun
dled Oi more men who were seated in
tlii, pa,U u the field rose lcisurelv and
pccrcd curiCusly over the fence and
watched the flames.
Presently the smoke grew denser
and above the high board fence a lone
tongue OF flame -hot upward. Then
from Undc' the seats came other evil
donces that something more than an
ordinary blaze was in progress. The
-mpkc thickcned, the flames rose
higher and higher and in their en-
brace took in the whole tier of seats.
They swept along rapidly. and owing
70 tho tinder-like condition of the
shell Lopscs it required but a M ment
80 cngulf the poor structures in what
had now developed into Il sort of a g
IN IRE. The Luny attempts of the
fire depart rent had no a%ppreciable
Effect IN subding the oncoming flames.
buildin1 after building melted away
y, if thoy had been specially construct.
I'd a. food for the devOuring elements.
Roofs and windows OF houses adjCin.
M tho ba cha | grounds were crowd.
ed with anxious spectators, who hung
on to d frail thread Of HOY c that their
own houses might be spared from de.
~tructiCn.
Yam Efforts to Check the Conf, gration
|>trcuuoU efforts were made to check
the tlamcs by the use of buckets.
basins and whatever else would hold a
quart Of water, but it was like an at
Tempt 30 spbdue the everlasting fires
Of Nc>uvlu-. seeing that their efforts
wer" il vain the peop'e hastily
gathered together what few articles
they could car y and rushed from the
houses. Al the .eits of the eastern
side Of the ball grounds were Il sheet
Of roaring flames The spectacle was
me Of i~neXprossible grandeur, and the
thousands who had gathered in the in
closure gaZcd upon 1t in awe, mixed
with terror. The fire department had
now GOT thoroughly at work. but the
Ion, Of water winch We're poured into
the great tanning space were OF nc
await whatever and il seemed that the
ra,h q Il c would only be eubdued
when material to e d it hid been ex.
hau.tCG
t~roNteC ~ the upper story Of the
.rani stand ere ScVerat hundred per-
sons who had gathered there to obtain
III un0hstructcd view of the awful
spectacle spread out before them. Nc
one Grcame tn t this beautiful s:ruc.
'ure was in the remotest danger, but
t"n minutes later it became evident
lhat th3-. too, lay in the path Of the
mad flames. Hurriedly the stand was
Facatcd, ANA not a moment to soon. as
the eastern wing became ignitcd and
the hot breath of the devOuring mon
STOP nearly Ovtrcame those who were
making their escape. "A rush was hur
"lcdly made for the opposite side of the
grounds, but even here the heat wa:
:" Intense that the people hu died to
gethor in the northwestern extremity
of the groUIds as far out of danger as
possibe c.
II was not until . o'clock that control
was gained over the fire. The fire
burned over about eight acres, 2W
buildings were destroyed and 2,OOC
lersons were rendered homeless.