New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-30
CRIPPLE CREEK WIPED OUT.
A SECOND INCENDIARY FIRE COMPLETES
THE WORK OF DESTRUCTION
THREE LIVES LOST. MANY PERSONS INJURED AND
THE PROPERTY LOSS 81. COO Oo0-A THOU
SAND HOMELESS PEOPLE.

THE PROPERTY LOSS 81. 2.OoOOoo-A THOU
SAND HOMELESS PEOPLE.
Cripple Creek. Col. April pa second confa-
grafton. accompanied by loss OF life and injury to
many persons. swept the business part OF this
city into ashes to-day. At least three men lie
dead and fifteen or twenty persons were burned
and otherwise injured Two Of the dead were
killed in explosion Of the Palace Hotel boilers
and the other thief who shot by po-
liceman under orders. Griffith is the name of the
only identified dead man. One thousand persons
without shelter tonight. and the business
men and property who have lost all. with
little insurance. are almost In despair
They In fever Of excitement and wrath
against the incendiaries who charged with
starting this and Saturdays destruction.
Mayor Steele has telegraphed for assistance
from neghborng 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 section ncrthward
and scattering places about the Florence and
Cripple Creek yards. West Cripple Creek, across
the Freeman Placer. was also spared.
The loss will not fall short Of s2.ooO.ooo. which
Is more heavily insured than the property
burned Saturday. All the substantial bus-
ness houses OF brick and wood. the leading
shops went up in smoke or lie in ruins as the
result Of the use Of dynamite exploded 10 stay
the flames. The confagration ended only when
the residence portion was reached and open
spaces encountered. across which the flames
could not reach.
The fire. which was Of undoubted incendiary
origin started In the Portland Hotel. on Second
St. shortly after noon A brisk breeze was blow
ing and the fire rapidly gained such headway
that the fire department was unable to check It's
progress The Portland was rattle-trap. and
offered the best Of kndling for the beginning OF
q confla grati)n.
The entire town quickly set Into penic'
the residents had not recovered from their
terrible experience Of Saturday. Everybody be-
gan 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 wild
scene ensued
Teams were ashed up and down the streets by
excited men removing property: people with bum
dies were running pell-mell to the northward;
the roaring Of the flames, the crash or railing
timbers following the explosions of dynamite ana
the shouts of frenzied and women made an
awful spectacle.
Everybody on the hills hastened to lend their
assistance by rushing into town 10 carry away
valuables much Of which will remain unidenti-
fed. At the first hint Of loo'ing 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 already been shot and their bodies left to De
cremated 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 ex-
cited citizens rushed about without apparent
purpose or object.
The fire originated in the kitchen OF the Port
land Hotel, which stood on Seoond-st.. between
Warren and Myers aves. Back Of 1t was a
lumber yard and several small buildings. In
an hours time the roof Of the hotel had fallen
in and the flames were leaping across to ad-
Joining blocks. Booths furniture store was
blown up by dynamite in effort to check
the fire. and the Maloney Office building. the
Fair. a restaurant and the Palace Drug Store
were also sacrificed to the necessity OF the hour.
Across Second-st. the Masonic Temple, two
story brick. stayed the progress eastward. and
heroic efforts were made to prevent II burning.
BY this time everybody in Meyers and Bennett
and on six adjacent blocks began to move
out. East Of Third-st. en.bers gnited the tempo
rary buildings set up on the first burned district
BY 4 o'clock the whole ablaze and above
Carr-aVe people moving their household
goods. AT Second and Bennett stood the Bimeial-
lie National Bank. and ext TO it. In the Cripple
home Of the First National Bank. All the money
was locked up in the vaults and the place was
abandoned. when the flames crowded the clerks
out North OF the banks were the telegraph ana
telephone Offices, which had to be aba andoned.
Late in the afternoon the wind veered around
to the east. driving the course OF the connagra-
tiOn TO the more spar6ely built-up residence dis
trct and the fire died out. leaving the High
School Building the only one Of any size remain
ing in the camp. The list Of business houses de-
stroyed includes every firm Of any size In the
city. Many dwellings were also swept away.
When ii realized that the fire would now
die out. the people who had raced to the hiils
began wild scramble to find quarters for the
night. Special trains bore hundreds 10 Victor.
Florence and Colorado Springs by the Midland
Terminal route Others went later tonight
There are two dead and several injured a
result Of the Palace Hotel explosion. An un-
known man was shot by policeman while
looting a burning building. One OF the dead
men has been identified named Grif
flth who worked Gold King. and another as
j. w. Crigger.
will die Others seriously injured i. NJ.
smith, John Evans. Larry" Mahoney. f.
broadway, George Youngstone, one OF the Rose
brothers, OF Rose & Leddy, druggists; G. E.
Youngstone John Kreiger. f. Bradley and
Gene" Leyden
(,r,nnle Creek is In FL Paso County. Col. about
twenty-five miles southwest OF Colorado Springs.
Attention was first called to the locality by the
disco, cry OF gold there In 1892 although for years
few minor Gains had been worked In that year.
bowever several mines were discovered and the
camp soon attained a prominence greater than any
that had been previously found in the State except
nerhans the fabulous Creede. The gold was found
in n free state, and for a time the shipments were
far beyond the expectations OF even the camps most
on,husiastic prospectoTs After 1t had been worked
for a wear the excitement "petered out. on.y to be
revived last year when 1t was found by systematic
mining that true hssure veins underla.d the whole
territory Then the influx OF prospectors began IN
earnest. Railroads were built into the town. ana
the place soon had population variously estimated