The Anaconda standard., 1896-04-30
RELENTLESS BLAzES
Added Suffering and Torture to the
People of Cripple Greek.
TWO KILLED, MANY INJURED
Fire Takes a Fresh Hold and Al
most Wipes the iown Out of Ex-
istence-Thousands Homeless
Only a Few Houses Remain.

istence-Ihousa homeless
| Only a Few Houses Remain.
Cripple Creek. April ga fire which
Droke out in the Portland hotel shortly
after noon to-day destroyed about all
that was left Of Cripple Creek after the
great confiagration of last Saturday.
-Four persons were killed by an explo-
sion and at least IL injured, several of
them fatally. The flames to-day spread
with great rapidity and although stren-
| uous efforts were made to check the
progress of the fire by blowing up
buildings with dynamite, they proved
Of no avail All the principal business
buildings are in ruins and nothing is
left of the town proper except the rail-
road stations and a few scattered
houses. The fire ragged fiercely all the
afternoon and only died out tonight
Tor the lack of fuel on which to feed.
The origin of the fire appears to have
been purely accidental. though the gen.
eral belief is that 1t was incendiary.
Frank Angel, the Portland chef, can
not be found. Second handed. the
story is that a pan of grease on the
range blazed UP and caught the grease
eoaked boards at the back. Bessie
Kelly, one Of the mattresses, says she
had gone into the kitchen for an order
Lunch was being served at the time
She saw flames running up the wall
and believes they came from outside
the building, apparently from the Chi
cago cafe adjoining. She rushed from
the kitchen to the Office. crying fire"
The clerk of the Portland says when
the girls came out Of the dining room
they rushed up stairs toward the sleep
Ing rooms over the kitchen. Hurriedly
as possible the hotel was emptied of
the guests. The girls who had gone
trra int 1.a4 AaA oIx "a
to get back with safety. He had no
idea how the fire started The hotel
building was owned by T. /. Moyna-
han. Moynahan valued the property
at $4,000, and he carried insurance for
only $4,000.
The Money Loss.
The fire department was powerless, the
smoke rolled high into the heavens, like
a cloud OF doom, from the fringe of
flames that leaped above their prey. wag-
ons were everywhere. The price for the
service of a wagon ranged from $40 to
500 cash a load. according to the exigency
of the moment or the hard-heartedness
of the owner. While the fire burned over
the territory saved from Saturday nights
fres carpenters were busily engaged set
ting up many light frame structures be-
ing built on the area then burned.
To-day's fire did not encroach 4pon the
territory of its predecessor. Into to-day's
fire district were crowded the refugees
from the previous fire, and with them
most OF the goods that had been saved
One million dollars seems a large amount
to ascribe to loss in a hurriedly and
cheaply-built mining camp, but there can
be no question that to-day's loss will
more than reach these figures. The insur-
ance loss of $156, 900 on Saturday must be
fully s450.0o0 to-day. Every insurance Of
fee in town is burning and figures can
not be obtained. IL was reported that the |
list of dead and injured runs into the |
scores and this and that oficer was cred
tied with having shot men in the act of |
setting fire to buildings. Lawlessness |
seemed in the air Men lost their heads |
and were ready for anything. City Mar |
shal James Marshall has sworn in about |
$50 special policemen and Company @. |
Second regiment c. N. c.. has also been |
utilized. Many of the men are mounted |
and the burned portion is being thorough |
ly patroled.
Denver. April ga special to the |
Times from Cripple Greek says the |
Portland hotel is burning and another
confiagration is feared. The roof of the
hotel fell in, and the fire jumped
across the street. The FIRE department
is blowing up buildings with dynamite
to prevent a confiagration.
At p. m. 100 pounds of giant powder
were exploded. blowing up buildings
to check the fire. A high wind had
arisen and the attempt was a failure
The entire block between Bennett and
Myers avenues and Second and First
streets is threatened; also the buildings
between Myers and Warren.
The Masonic Temple block is In danger,
also the First and Bimetallic National
banks.
Among the buildings blown up were
Williams e. Welly's livery stable. the
Both furniture store and the r. NJ.
Maloney block, the Palace hotel BIZ
metallic bank, and the new quarters of
the First National are likely 20 go. No
wires are available except telephone.
At $3.50 o'clock-The fire is still burn
ing. A number of people have been
killed by the explosions.
At $50 o'clock p. m.-The fire is
spreading over the entire town. There
are hardly any buildings left except a
sion on Third street two persons were
killed and IA injured. One of the dead
has been Identified as j. Griffith. a min
er. Among the injured are: John Rice.
arm broken and eye blown out; Claude
Evans. fatally lacerated; George
Youngston, John Krigger. F.. Bradway,
arms broken, internal injuries. The
FIRE extends from Warren avenue to the
and from A to Third street.
Thousands HON LESS.
Cripple Greek. Col. April 2s.-At s
p. n.-The fire has burned itself out,
and Mayor Steele has telegraphed
Chairman Weber Of the fire and po-
lice board of Denver that firemen and
policemen are not needed.
At $50 D. ma special pOlfcarnan |