The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-23
CAUGHT FROM A SPARK
BUT THOUSANDS OF TONS OF
FREIGHT WERE QUICKLY
CONSUMED.
AND SIX HUNDRED CARS BURNED

Huge Warehouses and Dwellings
Burned Like finder Boxes in Mill
waukee Yesterday--A Thirty Mile
Wind was Blowing and the Flames
Spread With Great Rapidity--The
Loss Caunot Now be Told with Ac-
curacy, but Estimated at s4OO, 900.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Aug. ga fire
which threatened to make havoc equal
to that wrought in the third ward three
years ago, broke out at o'clock this af-
ternoon in the warehouse of the Union
Steamboat Company, on the Menominee
river. A thirty mile wind was blowing
and the flames spread with great ra.
pidity.
The fire originated on the dock of the
Union Company at the river and Reed
street bridge, and is supposed to have
been caused by a spark from a passing
steamer.
The building was constructed entirely
of wood and as it burned it belched forth
smoke like volcano. Within a few
minutes the flames had burst through
the roof and caught to row of st. Paul
freight cars standing just north of the
building. The Union Company's build
ing was six hundred feet in length and
in it were thousands of tons of freight,
all of which were destroyed with the
building which was in ashes in less than
half an hour.
Over six hundred freight cars belong
ing to the st. Paul Company, and in
process of being loaded or ready to ship,
were soon enveloped in flames, the fire
jumping from one building or line of
cars to another so rapidly that the com
pany's employees did not have time tore
move any of them Within half hour
after the fire started the Wisconsin Central
freight house, just north of the river
and three hundred feet in length, was
totally destroyed. This, like the others,
was filled with freight and large num-
Der of the company's cars, standing near
at the time, were destroyed.
Within few minutes after the freight
cars began burning, fire broke forth
from the cupola of the oil and grease es-
tablishment of Fl. J. Delaney and Com
many, on Third street, a half block from
tfle tracks, where the burning cars stood.
Following this the plumbing establish
ment of E. I. Down, on.Second street,
was quickly destroyed and the wagon
shop of e. Trinkner, adjoining, took
fire several times, but it was put out each
time and seemed in fair way to stand.
A row of small frame dwellings on
Fowler street, directly opposite the ST.
Paul freight house, between Second and
III of ha
other, and were destroyed. The occu-
pants were able to get nearly all their
furniture out tefore the heat and smoke
drove them back.
The main freight house of the st.
Paul Company, extending from the
southwest corner of Fowler and Second
to Third streets, had very close call,
but was saved.
The burned territory extends from
West Water street, along the river front
up to Sixth street viaduct.
The principal buildings burned, not
including the frame dwellings, were de-
stroyed on Fowler and Second streets,
and were as follows:
Union Steamboat warehouse, Anchor
Line warehouse, Pennsylvania Railroad
freight house, Wisconsin Central freight
house Owned by St. Paul Company,
part of Pritzloff warehouse, Delaney Oil
warehouse, damaged; E. T. Downs
plumbing shop.
At $3.50 the fire was under control and
there was no further danger of its spread
ing. What the loss is can not be told
with any degree of accuracy. Little is
known of the character and value of the
freight destroyed, but it is believed that
the damage amounts to upwards of
$500, 900, some estimates place the loss
at $400, 600. While the fire was in pro
gress, Joseph McManus, a son of Detec-
tive VIM. McManus, of the city police
force, was run over by engine No. 6, at
the corner of Third and Fowler streets,
and instantly killed.
A Hotel Burned.
NYACK, n. Y, Aug. 22.-The Grand
Union Hotel at Congers took fire at
o'clock this morning and with its con-
tents, was totally destroyed; loss, 1885,
0O0 In jumping from window, Will
liam A. Webb, a guest at the hotel, broke
his leg and was otherwise seriously iE-
jured Other guests lost all their bag
gage.