The Indianapolis journal., 1896-04-26
MILLION-DOLLAR FIRE
DISASTROUS BLAZE IN THE HEART
OF CRIPPLE CREEK.
Started by a Courtesan, Who Threw a
Lamp at Her LOver-Dynamite Used
10 Blow Up Buildings.

CRIPPLE CREEK, Col, April 2-An
angry courtesan threw lamp at her lover
at 1 o'clock to-day and $1,0O0,0O0 worth of
property was destroyed in three hours. The
lamp hit the stove, igniting the oil and set
ting fire to the furniture. In few minutes
the building was in flames This was
Coughs dance hall on Myers avenue, near
Third street. In a. very short time the ad-
joining buildings had caught. despite the
efforts of the fire department. 1t soon be-
came evident that,the fire was to be big
one, but no one thought 1t would
reach such an area The occupants
began to move out but many had waited too
long and were unable TO save their goods.
Some barely escaped with their lives. Sew
eral women were dangerously burned. The
heat became so intense that buildings on the
north side Of Meyers street took fire. Every
wagon in town was pressed into service and
goods were hauled away. Not a tenth part
OF the goods were saved. BY the time the
postoffice had caught W became evident that
the only way to stop the. progress of the fire
was to blow up the buildings with dynamite.
This was done under the supervision OF the
iiremen, and a number of buildings had to be
sacrificed before the fire had reached them
The fire started about / O'clock, and by
1t had burned the blocks between Third and
Fifth streets. on Meyers. between Third and
Fifth streets, on Bennett street, stopping
just this side of the new Midland depot and
warehouse, between Third and Fifth. on
Carr. With the exception of few buildings
on the Third-street side. nearly all the build
ings between Third and Fifth, on Eaton.
we're destroyed.
The property on Meyers avenue was occu-
pied in the most part by demimonde and sa-
looms. The two variety theaters-the Topic
and Hollands-were there. and innumerable
dance halls. Several accidents Of minor char
acter occurred. but none was fatal. Grace
Clifton was badly burned about the face and
hands. j. Anderson. while placing a charge
OF dynamite under the Sisters hospital to
blow 1t up, had leg torn of by a prema-
ture explosion. The postoffice, on Bennett
avenue, Is wreck, only the vault standing.
Twenty thousand letters and thousands OF
packages were destroyed. The First National
Bank vault is standing. All the books and
papers were saved, and the bank opened for
business while its building was burning In a
room adjoining the Bimetallic Bank. The
Episcopal and Congregational churches were
destroyed. The city jail. in which were con-
fined about twenty prisoners. has only the
iron cages left. The prisoners were re-
leased.
The Sisters hospital was blown up after
the patients had been removed to the Pixies
Peak Hospital. Mayor Steele ordered all sa-
looms closed, which prevented lawlessness. A
report was started that thieves were busy.
and hundred deputies were at once sworn
In and the militia was called out. but no
depredations were committed Hundreds OF
people were made homeless. but they were all
given shelter by the generous people of the
town. The fallen women were made well
come in the best houses in the city. The
burned section Is to be brilt ND at once with
brick and stone. The total insurance will
reach about $250,00o.
Sfanda s.d NGine Rupnln