Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-05-01


broke out in the Portland hotel shortly
after noon today, destroyed about all
that was left of Cripple Creek after he
great conAagration of last Saturday
-Four persons were killed by exPlo-
sions and at least fourteen injured sew
eral of them fatally
The flames today spread with great
rapidity, and although strenuous eHortS
were made to check the progress OF the
fire bv blowing up buildings with dyna-
mite. they proved of no avail. All the
nrinciDal business buildings are In RUNS
and nothing is left of The town proper
excent the railroad station and few
scattered houses. The fire ragged herce-
lv all the afternoon and only died out
tonight for lack of fuel on which to reed
The burned district is as follows;s BE-
tween Myers and Warren and SECOND
and First, one block. Myers to FlKe
Peak avenue and between Second ana
streets. ten blocks. From the aley
between Myers and Bennett up to Ea-
ton. three and one-half blocks. All the
buildings on Myers between SECOND anu
Third are standing.
The origin of the fire appears 10 DC
purely accidental. though the general
belief is that it was incendiary. There has
been talk of crediting Saturdays flre TO
sucb origin, ard this one, coming SO
close upon it, gives rise to suspicion
The facts appear to dis credit suspicion.
Frank Angel, the Portland chef, can
not he found. Second handed, the story
is that a pan OF grease on the range
blazed up and caught the grease-soaKeo
boards at the back. The entire side OF
the wall was ablaze in an instant.
The Portland was built of frame We
neered brick; the kitchen occupied the
central rear portion, the dining-room
shutting 1t off from the alley and 70"
Of store rooms from Myers street The
west side of the building was covered
with corrugated iron and adjoining lhiS
was Greene's Chicago cafe
The hotel building was owned by L.
T. Moynahan. Moynahan valued the
property at 100000, and he carried IN
surance for only $4,000.
Seventeen blocks of buildings were
too much for the fire department to han
die. A trunk, mattress, some 1ailily
njctures. whatever was dearest that Couid
be saved, was carried by the members Oh
the family to place where the hre was
not exnected to come and by them stood
Guard the homeless wives and chllareh'
while the stronger heads of the families
we're down somewhere in that caldron |
of fire trying to add to the pile
The price for the service of a wagon
ranged from nothing to $500 cash per
load. according to tho exigency OF the
,,,or,ant or the hard-heartedness OF the
owner.
While the fire burned over the terri
tory saved from Saturdays fire, carPen-
tiers were basily engaged getting up
many light frame structures, being built
in the area burned. Todays fire did not
encroach upon the territory OF its pre-
decessor-
Those injured are: George Youn-
,trom, Georgetown, head and face badly
A. K. Hinkley, cut on foot.
George Leyden, Georgetown, hands
broken and lacerated, head and face
BADLY cut.
E. E. Broadway, Nebraska City, head
ace and hands badly cut.
:. Ragsdale, Washington, Ind, skull
,adIy fractured, left leg broken.
n. B. Ordway, may die.
Charles McMann, actor, bad fracture {
,ver left eye.
J. w. Creiger, Aspen, head and face a
adly cut, hands injured.
Clad Staten, Aspen, seriously bruised c
T. w. Gsurber, Kansas City, head $
ably cut.
l. W. Lynch, Loveland, Colo, arm a
Town off p
John E. Rose, druggist, arm broken. '
Larey Maroney, slightly injured
E. NJ. Smith, superintendent water c
orks, face injured. n
Willis Walker, mining engineer, SER n
'usly injured. a
Dickinson, a carpenter, slightly in C
red.
Lew Cochrane, arm broken. c
John Evans, cut on face and head. a
Chris Coffmer, fireman, severely in It
red. j
r.. CauaH Denver leo n