The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-05-06
TOOK WHAT WAS LEFT.
Fire Again Sweeps the Mining
Town of Cripple Creek.
The Entire Place Now In Ruins-Thought
to Be the Work of Observation-Disclosures
Persons Known to He Dead-One
Thief, Shot by tho Police.

Cripple Creek, Col, April 30.-A second
conhagration, accompanied by many of the
horrors of the Chicago fire, swept the bust
ness part of this city into ashes Wednes-
DAY At least four men lie dead as re-
suit and Is persons were burned and other
wise Injured. Three Of the dead were killed
in the explosion of the Palace hotel
boilers, the other was q thief who was shot
by policeman under orders. One thou
sand persons are without shelter and the
business men and property owners who
have lost all, with little or no insurance,
are almost in despair. They are in fever
of excited wrath against the incendiaries
who are charged with starting this and
Saturdays destruction. The fire burned
itself out with the aid Of dynamite.
Loss About Sc 100000.
Mayor Steele has invited assistance from
neighboring towns in the way of tents for
the homeless, but the police department
feels able to cope with the situation. All
that is left of the camp is "Old Town." over
to the east Capitol hill, the residence sec
ton northward, and scattering places
about the Florence & Cripple Creek yards.
West Cripple Creek, across the Freeman
placer, was also spared. The loss cannot
fall short of $1,000, 900 and the heaviest in
surance loss comes by this second con-
Migration. All the substantial business
houses Of both brick and wood, the lead
Ing hotels, Office buildings and better class
of retail shops all went up in smoke or lie
in ashes as the result of the use of dyna-
mite exploded to stay the flames. The con-
Migration ended only when the residence
portion was reached and open spaces &C.
CURED. across which the flames could not
reach.
Work of an Incendiary.
The fire, which was of undoubted in
cendiary origin, started in the Portland
hotel on Second street shortly after noon.
t11y =, \ hlNvry-
ing at the time and the fire rapidly gained
such Roadway that even with a good water
pressure the fire department was unable
to check the progress of the increasing
flames. The Portland was a great rattle
trap and offered the best of kindling for the
beginning of conf1agration.
The town was quickly set into panic by
this fire, for the people had not recovered
from their terrible experience Of last Sat
urday. Without delay everybody began to
prepare to pack up and get away. but. sc
rapid was the progress of the flames that
chaos ensued. 1t is absolutely impossible
to portray in words the scenes which fol-
lowed until the flames had spent their
powers.
Teams were dashed up and down the
streets by excited men: people with bundles
and papers were running pell-mell to the
northward; shouts, the booming of the
flames, the crash of falling timbers fol-
lowing the explosions of dynamite. all
made one ominous, unintelligible roar.
Four Are Dead.
At the first hint Of footing property the
police, aided by the citizens, gave promp.
notice that death would be the fate OF
all thieves, and the story was af1oat early
that several thieves had already been shot
and their bodies left to be cremated in
the confiagratton. Rumors Of many lives
lost added to the general CONSERVATION,
and when the boilers of the Palace hotel
exploded, killing and injuring several peo-
pie, the panic-stricken, crazed and excited
citizens rushed about without apparent
purpose or object.
There are three dead and several injured
as result of the Palace hotel explosion.
An unknown man was shot by policeman
while footing burning building.