Rock Island Argus., 1896-04-30
TOWN is NO MORE.
Cripple Creek Is at This Writing
Nothing but a Site.
FOB 4 SECOND TIME.
The Flames Add Death and Casually
Roll to the Other Devastation.

Injured, Some, Perhaps, FaialIy-Dyna-
mite Again Escorted to in Fighting the
Fire. but wi;hou: Avaii-One OF the
| Losers Tells the State Insurance Comunis-
sioner That Eoth Fires Were Incendiary
| Another Million in Ashes.
| CRIPPLE CREEK, April S0-This place
has again been the sport of the flames
and at this writing the fire has burned
| itself out and there Is not building left
standing in the business section of the
city; only few residences on the out
| skirts remain, and thousands are home
4 less. But this latest blaze has the addi-
| tional horror of loss of life. one person
being known to have perished while
/ nearly n score have been wounded, some
! perhaps fatally
| The fire was famed by a high wind
/ and il was almost impossible 10 keep
| ahe.liof it with the work of blowing mp
buildings. Indeed. as fast Gs the build
ings we're reduced to splin;ers they were
fired by the advancing flames
Origin Purely an Accident.
The origin of the fire appears TO have
been purely accidental. though the gem
cral bclici is that It was ircendiary. There
has been talk c-cditns Saturdays fire to
such an origin. and this one coming SO
close upon it gives rise to suspicion. The
facts appear to discredit the suspicion.
] Frank Angel, the Portland chef, cannot
I bc found. 1t is reported that a pan OF
grease on the range blazci mp and caught
the grease-soakcd boards at the back. Tine
| entire side of the wall was ablaze in an
| instant.
Losses Estimated at r Million.
Bessie Kelley, one of the waitrcsses,
says she had gene into the kitchen for an
order 1T lunch time. She saw flames run
ming up the wall, and believes they camc
! from outside the building, apparently
from the Chicago cafe adjoining, she
rushed from the kitchen to the Office cry
| ing fire" The other occupants of the
kitchen had not noticed the house to be
on fire. Oue million dollars seems u
large amount to ascribc to n loss in hur-
ricdly and cheapiy built mining camp,
but there can b. no question but that yes
| tcrday's loss will more than reach these
| figures The insurance loss of Sl56 900 on
| Saturday must have reached fully Si11 00O
yesterday. Every insurance Office in town
! is burned and figures cannot be obtained.
Two Explosions That Werc Deadly.
| Buildings in advance of the fire were
| blown up III a futile attempt to check its
speed. All about the burning blocks the
| streets were jammcd. Charges of fifty
| pounds and more of powder were put in.
One explosion threw debris high into the
| air and its failing fellcd men right and
| left. When the smoke cleared away the
streets were covered with men uaaRc to
rise. Others rushed 10 their GSsistaf CO.
Before the unfo-tunates could be dragged
back n second charge went of and half
dozen other men We're added to the list.
| The crowd surged forward and all wero
taken away as the flames began TO con.
sumo the building.
The List or the Dead and Wounded.
| George Griiiith'S heri was blown nearly
off and he died in half an hour. The
Others, while seriously hurt, may ali re-
| cover. Those injured arc: George
Youngstron, George; own. head and face
cut, badly confused; a. Z. Hinl1ey, cut
on feot; George Layden, Georgctown,
hands broken AMI laccratcd. head ana
! facc'badly cut: +. e Broadway, Nebraska
| City, head. face and hands badly cut; G.
! Ragsdalc, Washington. Ind, SIX ul' badly
| fractured and left leg broken; Il. B. Ord.
way, may die; Charles McCann, actor,
bad fracture over left eye; J. w. Creiger,
Aspen, head anu face badly cut,
hands injured; T. T. Gcurber, Kan
sas City, head badly cut; J. W.
Lynch, Loveiand, Colo, arm blown
| OF; c. Staten, Aspen, seriously bruised;
John f. Rose. druggist, arm broken;
Larry Maroney, slightly injured; + II.
| Saith. superintendent watcrworks, face
| injured; - Diciicnson, carpenter slight
! ly injured; Willis Walker. mining en-.
gineer, seriUuly injured; Lew Ccchranc,
arm broken; John Evans. cut on face and
head; Chris c. finer, fireman severely in
| jurcd; Captain Tom NScweil, Denver, leg
| fractured.