The Elbert County tribune., 1898-10-06
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
GREAT LOSS AT COLORADO
SPRINGS.
rhe Antisr- Hotel and several Lumber
fards nurned Br-idss Large Number
of Other BulidinEr- Loss OF Half =
Million.

| Denver. Oct. 2.-The following dis
7 patch to the Rocky Mountain News
tells OF the great connngrntion that
rnged at Colorado Springs yesterday:
Three fires broke out almost stimuli
tnneously here this afternoon. One Of
them set on carload OF black blast
ing powder A terrific explosion fol-
lowed. and an hour later over half n
million dollalrs' worth OF property was
destroyed and the whole city threatened.
Denver. Pueblo and Cripple Greek
We're asked for aid. and each OF these
cities sent firemen and fire apparatus.
The greatest excitement prevailed nf-
ter the fire began 10 gain headway. and
soon the streets were crowded with peo-
pie fleeing for places OF safety. Houses
were stripped of their furniture and
the goods We're loaded on wagons and
conveyed 10 streets far away.
With the aid furnished by the out
side fire department, the flames were
gotten under contrcl at about O'Clock.
but three blocks OF property had been
destroyed, including the handsome Ant
lers hotel, half y dozen lumber yards.
Two freight depois and numerous
sliacks and shantlcs
The fire started shortly before 3
O'clock under the Rio Grande freight
depot, Mt the foot of Cucharas street.
There WINS carload of powder stand
Ing next TO the platform of the depot.
consigned TO q. & Barnes x Sons. At
tnched TO the carload OF powder was a
carload OF dynamite. The flames burst
through the platform and spread 50
rapidly that the clerks had barely time
TO escape.
The alarm was quickly given and the
carload of dynamite wns removed TO
place of safety. \ few minutes later
the flames enveloped the powder ear.
A dun explosion followed. the car flew
into thousand pieces, and cans of
powder We're hurled through the air Il
distance OF two and half blocks
Some of them fell into the lumber
yard OF Cressey * Fowler. block and
a half away, and set fire TO the dry
timbers. A wind that is estimated TO
have been blowing at the rate of forty
miles an hour carried the flames ncross
IIucrfano street TO the lumber yards
OF Sperry x Tuckerman. the El Paso
Lumber Company and the Newton
Lumber Company.
These yards all adjoin each other,
and were soon In n blaze. The Antlers
hotel, whose rear wns opposite the
Newton lumber yard, caught fire. The
employees displayed marked bravery
and endeavorcd TO wet the building
down with garden hose and pals OF
wntcr but their efforts We're useless,
rear windows and igniied everything
In their way until the entire renr was
In one big blaze.
In the meantime the guests hurried
ont through the front entrances,
Trunks and other belongings were
dragged into the street. and there was
the greatest confusion. BY this time
the local fire department discovered
that II could not cope with the fire, and
the call for assistance was sent o
The water pressure was not what was
expected, and, In fact, the blaze was 20
fierce at this time that even u dcluge
would scarcely have done any good.
The people In the buildings in the
neighboThood of the fire moved out as
us fast as they could. Truckmcn
charged from $40 TO S25 for taking
away a load OF goods.
At dusk the city was in darkness, the
electric wires had been thrown down,
and the people were compelled to use
candles for light. The wind died out
at o'clock, and the firemcn made
good progress, but, after a lull of about
two hours, II sprang up again, and the
iiremen We're compelled to use every
effort to prevent the adjoining property
catching fire. In addition TO the prop
erty. des,yeyea which has uirrudy tJeeai
described. there was one Gulf railrond
coach. which was standing close to the
freight depot, and four cars. which
were destroyed with the depot The
Rio Grandc freight depot was entire
ly destroyed and eighteen freight cars
which stood near 1t.
The loss is estimated at 100000 with
$300OO0 Insurance.