The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-08-10
A Once FIourishing Town Nearly
Destroyed.
MANY PEOPLE LEFT HOMELESS
once Started the Destroying Element
Leaped From Roof 10 Roof,
Leaving Only Ashes.

business portion of Sprague is in ashes,
hundreds are homeless tonight, and the |
losses will aggregate million and
quarter.
The town is almost destitute of food
and Mayor Sanderson has sent mes
sages to the leading cities appealing
for aid. The people are appalled, by
their frightful losses, and it will be sew
.eral days before they will know wheth-
er to try to rebuild the city or not.
At noon today the fire alarm was
sounded for blaze in Bryants chop
and feed mill, corner OF Railroad ave-
nue. and u street. The department re-
sponded promptly. but the blaze was
quickly famed into a roaring furnace
and the fire boys were driven back from
the scene almost as soon as they ar
rived. With lightning-like rapidly the
flames leaped from one building TO an
other, and inside of five minutes 1t was
seen that the entire town was threat
ened. AS the flames reached the cor
ner of c street they fOrked, one branch
going north of the railroad track and
consuming in it's way the Northern Pa
cihc grain warehouse, the National no.
tel and the entire row of wooden build
ings to the corner of B street. Here it
turned off to the Pacific hotel and the
row of wooden buildings in the rear OF
it. From there it jumped to the old
Headquarters building and Porak's
brewery, totally destroying it and his
residence.
SOUTHERN FORKS WORK.
Meanwhile, the southern FORK, with
equal rapidity, consumed the buildings
on Railroad avenue, First and Second
streets, including the Commercial no.
tel, the Herbring opera house, the city
hall, r. Newman d Co.'S and the Ma
sonic hall.
From here the flames leaped to the
buildings west of the car shops, and IN
another minute they burst forth into
flames. 1t was impossible to do any
thing to save the railroad buildings, as
the water pipes had burst in this part
of the city. Five minutes later ter
rifle explosion occurred, as the oil tanks
burst, and the timbers ana names rose
high in the air.
The fire was checked on the west side
by the brick buildings of the First Ma
tional bank and Jensen, King q Co.,
the occupants of these buildings plac-
ing wet blankets over the windows and
lighting the flames desperately.
DYNAMITE USED.
Mayor Sanderson at this time arrived
from Medical Lake and ordered the
building of Ben Ettelson, on the corner
of c and First streets, blown up VIII
dynamite. This was done and the en-
tire row of business houses on c stree
between First and Second was saved.
The flames here took a southeastern
direction and destroyed the drug stor'
of w z. Putnam, the Masonic hall, thu
county Jail, the old opera house, TIT
residences Of r. r. Jones and e. II
Stanton. The flames were checked her
by blowing up with dynamite the OH
opera house, and the row Of trees II
front of II. w. Bonne's residence wer
deluged with water to such an exten
that the fire was checked in a westerl
direction.
The fire swept east as far as the stoc
yards, completely obliterating in 1t
course every residence and bushes
house in that portion of the city.
Fully 800 acres of land was burne
over, every building thereon being CON
pletely wiped out.
SCENES UNDERSTANDABLE
The scenes at the fire were indescrit
able. Families rushed hither and thitf
er with household goods and wearin
apparel, seeking some safe place to d.
post them. A few minutes later tn
safe place had become dangerous on
and they would grasp what they coul
and leave the rest to be destroyed
the devouring flames. Fully one-fift
of the 5000 inhabitants of the city lo
not only their household goods, bl
most OF their wearing apparel
The prisoners in the county jail wei
released when the fire was about OF
block away, and they did eXcellel
work in assisting the neighboring blu
mess houses to get their goods to
place of safety. But after the fire WI
under control they had disappeared.
Among the first buildings to go w
the Northern Pacific railroad static
AS many of the books and papers
possible were taken to a place OF sal
ty, and Operator Young lost no time
connecting the wire in one of the tiel
east of the town, where, seated on
iron wheelbarrow, with telegraph
strument on a wooden box, he sent a.
received messages as rapidly as pC
sibe.
AT THE ROUNDHOUSE.
The scenes at the burning Of
roundhouse were calculated to ALA
and excite even the coolest. Elan
rose to a height of fully 100 feet,
seemed bursting from every portion
the roof at the same instant. The wol
men lost many dollars worth of va
able tools. They made desperate
forts to save them. but were driN
back by the flames. 1t is estimated Il
fully $4,000 worth Of tools belonging
the workmen were destroyed, III