Birmingham state herald., 1896-04-30
.UNLUCKY CRIPPLE CREEK The Business Portion of the
 Town Wiped Out. ]. MANY PEOPLE HOMELESS The Loss Will Amount to S2.000,00 Man Shot Down for SteaIing-The
 Inhabitants Panic Stricken.

Cripple Creek, Col, April 29.-A second
 confiagration, accompanied by loss of life
 and injuries to many persons, swept the
 business part of this city into ashes to-
 day. At least three men lie dead and fif-
 teen or twenty persons were burned and
 otherwise injured. Two of the dead were
 killed by an explosion of the Palace hotel
 boilers, and the other was a thief, who
 was shot by policeman under orders.
 One thousand persons were without shel-
 ter tonight, and the business men and
 property owners, who have lost all, with
 little or no insurance. are almost in de-
 spair. They are in a fever of excitement
 and wrath at the incendiares, who are
 charged with starting this and Satur-
 days destruction.
 Mayor Steele has. telegraphed for as-
 sistance from neghboring 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 northward and
 scattering places about the Florence and
 Cripple Creek yards. The loss will not fall short of $2,000.000, which is more
 heavily insured than the.property burned Saturday. All the substantial business houses of brick and wood, the leading
 hotels and office buildings and better class of retail shops went up in smoke or lie III fulHS aS the result or the uyTaIllIc exploded to stay the flames. The confla
 grafton ended only when the residence
 portion was reached and open spaces en- countered, across which the flames could
 not reach.
 The fire, which was of undoubted in cendiary origin, started in the Portland hotel on Second street, shortly after noon. A brisk breeze was blowing and the fire rapidly gained such headWay that the fire department was unable to check its progress. The Portland was rattle trap and offered the best of kindling for the beginning of the confiagraton. The entire town was quickly set into panic, as the residents had not recovered from their terrible experience of Saturday. Everybody began to prepare to pack up and get away, but so rapidly did the flames spread that the people soon be- came panic stricken and a Wild scene en- sued. Teams were lashed up and down the streets by excited men having prop erty people with bundles were running pell mell to the northward; the roaring of the flames the crash of the falling timber following the explosions of dynamite and the shouts of frenzied men and women made an awful spectacle.
 Everybody on the hills hastened to lend their assistance by rushing into town to carry away valuableS, most of which re- main unidentified. At the first hint of footing property the police, aided by the cltlZenS, gave prompt nOtlce that uedlil would be the fate of all thieves and the story was afoat early that several thieves had already been shot and their bodies cremated. Rumors of many lives lost added to the general consternation, 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 ap- parent purpose or object.
 There are two dead and several injured as a result of the fire in the Palace hotel | An unknown man was shot by a police man while footing a burning building. One of the dead men has been identified | as a man named Griffith, who worked at Gold King, and another as J. w. Crigger. George Leyden was so badly Injured that he will die. Others seriously hurt are: E. H. Smith, John Evans, Larry Marony,
 E. Broadway, George Youngstone, one of the Rose brothers of Rose & Leddin,
 druggists; c. E. Youngstone, John Krei-
 ger E. Bradley and Gene Ledden. Fire has broken out in West Cripple Creek late tonight, but as the place is composed largely of scattered cabins and cottages, it is believed that the blaze will not be very serious.