The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-30
AGAIN IN FLAMES.
Another Fearful COnfiagratiOn at
Cripple Greek.

The Town Nearly Wiped Out and Citizens
Discouraged-Like the Others This
Fire Is Supposed To Be Incendiary-
Citizens Panic Stricken.
Cripple Greek, COL, April s9.-The
second confagration accompanied by
loss of life and injuries to many persons
swept the business part of the city into
ashes today. At least three men lie dead,
and 15 or 20 persons are burned and 9TH
eIs injured.
Two of the dead were killed in the ex-
plosion of the Palace hotel boiler. The
other was thief shot by Policeman
Burr. Business men and property own
ers, who have lest all, with little or no
insurance, are almost in despair. They
are in u fever Of excitement and wrath
against the incendiaries. charged with
setting this and Saturdays fire. All
that is left of the camp is the cold
town." over to the east, and the Capitol
hill, the residence section northward.
The loss will not fall short of So, 600, 900,
and is more heavily insured than the prop
erty burned Saturday. All the substan-
tial business houses of brick and wood,
the leading hotels, and better GLASS of
the retail shops, went up in smoke or lie
in ruins as a result of the dynamite ex-
ploded to stay the flames.
The con6agrstionYend ded only when the
residence portion was reached and open
spaces encountered, across which the
flames could not reach. The fire was
undoubtedly ssaincondiary, and started
shortly before noon in the Portland hotel,
a rattle trap, which offered the best Of
kindling for beginning the fire. Every
body began to prepare to pack up and get
away, but so rapid was the progress OF
the flames that people soon became pam
10 stricken and wild scene ensued. Ey-
erybody on the hill hastened to lend as
sistance, by rushing into town to carry
away valuables, much of which will re-
main unidentified.
At the first hint of looting the property,
the police, aided by tho citizens, gave
prompt notice that death would be the
fate of all thieves, and the story was
afioat early that several thieves had been
shot and their bodies left to be cremated.
Rumors of many lives lost added to the
general CONSERVATION, and when the
boiler of the Palace hotel exploded, kill
ing one and injuring others, the panic
stricken, citizens rushed about without
purpose or object. The fire originated in
the kitchen of the hotel. Back of it was
a lumber yard, and several small build
ings.
In an hours time. the roof of the hotel
had fallen in the flames, and the fire
leeped across to the adjoining block. A
furniture store was blown up by dyna-
m ite, in an effort to check the fire in the
Maloney Office building. The Fair,
restaurant and the Palace drug store were
sacrificed.
Across Second street the Masonic
temple checked the progress of the flames
eastward. East of Third street embers
ignited tho temporary builings, set up on
the first burned district.
BY four O'Clock, the whole town was
ablaze and above Carr avenue, people
We're moving household goods.
Late In the afternoon the wind veered
to the east, driving the course of the
confagration to the more sparsely built
up residence district, and the fire died
out leaving the High school building the
only one of any size remaining in the
camp. Tho list of business places de-
stroyed includes every firm of any im-
portance in the city.
A fire broke out in West Cripple Creek
late tonight. but as the place is composed
largely of scattered cabins and cottages,
it is believed that the blaze will not be
very serious.