The record-union., 1896-04-30
Loss Estimated at Not Less Than Two
Millions of Dollars.
All That is Left of the Camp is "Old
Town." the Residence Section
Northward, and Few Scattering
Places About the Florence and
Cripple Creek Yards-One Thou
sand People Rendered Homeless
The Fire Undoubtedly of Incendiary
Origin-At Least Two Lives Known
to Have Been Lost.

CRIPPLE CREEK, April 29-The en-
tire business section of this city is IN
ashes tonight, and the people are al
most in despair Mayor Steele has in
vited assistance from neighborlng
towns in the way of tents for the home
less, but the police department feel able
to cope with the situation. All that Is
left of the camp is "Old Town" over TO
the east. Capitol Hill, the residence
section northward, and scattering
places about the Florence and Cripple
Creek yards. West Cripple Greek,
across the Freeman Placer, was also
spared The loss cannot fall short OF
$1,000 900, and the heaviest insurance
loss comes by this second conf1agratlon
All the substantial business houses of
both brick and wood, the leading hotels,
office buildings and better class of retail
shops all went up in smoke or lay in
chaos as the result of the use of dyna-
mite exploded to stay the flames. The
conf1agration ended only when the resi-
dence portion was reached and open
spaces occurred across which the flames
could not reach.
The fire, which was of undoubted in
cendiary origin, started in the Portland
Hotel on Second street shortly after
noon brisk breeze from the south
was blowing at the time, and the fire
rapidly gained such headway that even
with good water pressure the fire de-
partment was unable to check the pro-
gress of the increasing flames. The
Portland was a great rattletrap, and
offered the best kind of kindling for the
beginning of a confagration.
The entire town was quickly set into
panic by this fire, for they had not re-
covered from their terrible experience
of last Saturday. Without delay
everybody began to prepare to pack up
and get away, but so rapid was the
progress of the flames that the people
soon became panic stricken and chaos
ensued. 1t is absolutely impossible TO
portray in words the scenes which fol-
lowed until the flames had spent their
powers. Teams were lashed up and
down the streets by excited men; peo-
pie with bundles and papers We're rush
ing pell-mell to the northward; their
shouts, the booming of the flames, the
crashing of falling timbers following
the explosions, all made one confused,
unintelhgible roar.
From the nights above the scene must
have been an impressive one, but few
stopped to witness the sight Every
body on the hills hastened to lend their
assistance by rushing into town to
carry away valuables, much of which
will hereafter remain unidentified.
At the first hint of looting property
the police, aided by the citizens, gave
prompt notice that death would be the
fate of all thieves, and the story was
afioat early that several thieves had al
ready been shot and their bodies left to
be cremated in the confiagration.
Rumors of many lives lost added to
the general CONSERVATION, and when the
boilers of the Palace Hotel exploded
killing and injuring several people, the
panic-stricken, craZed and excited citi-
zens rushed about without apparent
purpose or object.
The fire originated in the kitchen of
the Portland Hotel, which stood on Sec
end street, between Warren and Myers
avenues. Back of 1t was lumber yard
and several small buildings In an
hours time the roof of the hotel had fall
len in, and the flames We're leaping
across to adjoining blocks.
Booths furniture store was blown up
by dynamite in an effort to check the
fire, but in vain. The Maloney building
was next wrecked, with its lawyer and
real estate offices. the Fair. a restau-
rant, and then the Palace drug store, ,op-
posite the Palace Hotel, on the second
corner above the Portland.
Across Second street the Masonic
Temple, a two-story brick, stayed the
progress eastward, and heroic efforts
were made to prevent its burning.
BY this time everybody on Myers and
Bennett avenues and on six adjacent
blocks began to move out. East of
Third street falling embers ignited the
temporary buildings hastily set up on
the first burned district. BY O'Clock
the whole town was .ablaZe, and up
above Carr avenue people were moving
out their most valuable household
goods.
On the corner of Second and Bennett
stood the Bimetallic National Bank,
and next to it, in the Cripple Creek Min
ing Exchange. was the temporary home
of the First National Bank. All the
money was locked up in the vaults, and
the place abandoned when the flames
crowded the clerks out. North of the
banks We're the telephone offices, which
had to be abandoned.
Late in the afternoon the wind veered
around to the east, driving the course Of
the confiagration TO the more sparsely
built up residence district. end the fire
died out, leaving the high school build
ing the only one of any size remaining
in the camp.
The list of business houses destroyed
would include every firm of any size in
the city. Banks, hotels. Postofiice. dry
goods. hardware. clothing, professional
offices, restaurants, rooming- houses
livery barns, big gambling halls and
many residences.
When L was realized that the fire
would nov die out the people who had
raced to tae hills began a wild scramble
tc find quarters for the night. Special
trains bore hundreds quickly away to
Victor and to Florence and to Colorado