Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1896-05-02
In ASHES.
Cripple Greek. COL, Wiped Almost
Out OF Existonce.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS.
Buildings riown Up by Dynamits to Check
tho Advance % tho Dsvoarlng fisines
MANY Psrsons Injured and
Several Killed.

CRIPPLE CREEK, COL, April 3o-Last
Saturdays horrors were repeated
three-fold in tho destruction OF sec
ond fire yesterday afternoon. To an
Increase In the amount Of property de-
stroycd on Saturday the fre OF yestef'
day adds the loss OF life and leaves
from 5000 to 1000 people homeless IN
city Of dcsuiation with no homes 70
offer and no food to supply the DALI
wants Now, indeed, Is Cripple Creek
In ashes. When IN alarm Of fire sound
ed from the Portland hotel Mt l:3c
u'clock In the afternoon It was quickly
responded to, Notwithstanding that
the fircmen and the people, one and
all, were thoroughly exhausted by the
work Of Saturday, and the tension un-
der which they had lived since. In Is
minutes from the time the alarm
sounded flames were showing from tho
corner of the Booth establishment
The fire had spread TO the west on
Meyers avenue, taking the Chicago
Cato restaurant adjoining tho Port
land. Cartridges In the Wright hard
ware store In the Portland block were
firing fusilladc and Meyers avenuc
was furnace. To fight the fire from
that point was beyond human power
To the west of the Booth building the
immense lumber stock in the FL Paso
yards was catching, and the firemen
had the block bounded by First and
Second, Bennett and Meyers for field.
Buildings in advance Of the fire were
blown up in futile attempt to check
It's speed. All about the burning
blocks streets were jammed. Charges
of 50 pounds and more Of powder were
put In. The explosions threw debris
high in the air, and its falling felled
men right and left When the smoke
cleared away the streets werc covered
with men unable to rise. Others
rushed to their assistance. Before the
unfortunates could be dragged back
the second charge went off, and half
dozen other men were added to the
list. Tho crowd surged forward and
all were taken away rs the flames be-
gan to consume the building Dr. Lig'
rctt and Dr. Crane, OF Pixies Peak hos
pital, took charge of the injured.
George Grifiith's head was blown near
" of and he died In half an hour.
Two others and one named Fassett
were also killed.
The origin of the fire appears to have
been purely accidental, though the
general belief Is that 1t was incendi'
airy. Frank Angel, the Portland chef,
cannot be found. Second-handed, the
story Is that q pan of grease on the
range blazed up and caught the grease
soaked boards ut the back and the en-
tire side OF the wall was ablaze In ar
instant
One million dollars seems large
amount to ascribc to loss In hur
riedly and cheaply built mining camp
but there can be no question but thai
Yesterdays losses will reach more thar
these figures The insurance loss Of
$3.50, 900 on Saturday must be fully
$3.50, 900 yesterday. Every insurance
office in town is burned and figure!
cannot be obtained
Gen. Frank Reardon. Of Victor, hal
telegraphed to Gov. Mcintyre for oo'
tents for the use Of the homeless.
relief committee has been organized
ut Victor and offers Of shelter and pro
visions have been made by the citizen.
of that town to the relief committed
here. With the talk of incendiarism
rumors spread fast and lost nothing II
the retelling. It was reported tina
the list OF dead and injured runs int
the scores, and this and that Office
were credited with having shot men IL
the act OF setting fire to buildings
City Marshal James Marshall haI
sworn in about $50 special policemen
and company G, Second regiment, z
N. G., has also been utilized. Tit
Times, journal and Prospector Offices
were all burned down, leaving Cripple
Creek without newspaper.
I. J. Moynahan, owner OF the Port
land hotel In which the fire at Cripple
Creek started, at the Office of Superin
tendent Walpole Of the state insurance
department In Denver has made |
statement, which, in the light o
events, is regarded as tending to show
that tho fire was Of incendiary origin
Mr. Moynahan stated that $4,000 in
surance was carried on one-half OF thu
furniture, and that the furniture ha'
cost but $500. The lease OF the hote
to BENJAMIN Brewer expires May !.
AIamiiy Drowned.