The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-12
COMPLETELY WIPED OUT
The Entire Town of Jerome Goes
Up in Smoke.
NOT A SINGLE HOUSE LEFT
A Score or More of Bodies Supposed to
Be in the Ruins - Eleven Bodies
Have Already Been Re-
covered.

Prescott, Arizona, Sept. 1.-THE town
of Jerome, near here. was completely
wiped out this morning by fir,, .ntail-
ing loss of over s1,OoO,OOO in property.
Eleven bodies have so far I'm recov-
cred. while score or more are said to
be in the ruins or missing. The fire
originated from a gasoliaa stove in a
cabin and spread so rapidly and fierce
ly that it was impossible to gave even
clothing.
The fire was confined exclusively to
the business portion of the town and
open ground intervening between il and
the mammoth works of the United
Verde company saved the latter's plant,
otherwise the loss and suffering would
have been terrible.
Many people from Jerome are arriv-
ing here on special trains, while those
remaining are being cared for by the
company. The area of the fire was
confined to narrow gulch and ravines
leading to it, in which were located
substantial wooden and stone build
ings. the latter melting as rapidly be-
tore the names as pasteboard. over
$50 residences averaging in value 81, 900,
20 general merchandise and other
stores, saloons, ETC., of all kinds are
wiped out; in short, not single house
remains. The only building to escape
was the Methodist church. The num-
Der of people homeless is placed at $50,
and they are being cared for by
Messrs. Grier and Allen of the mining
company.
Two special trains left here tonight
for the scene of the disaster, carrying
tents and other material to comfort the
the distressed. and a meeting is being
held here tonight to raise money for
hn Of nh,
The loss is complete, but little insur-
ance being written in that camp, owing
to the great risk and Inadequate water
supply. The United Verde manage
ment is now kindly caring for the
sufferers until other arrangements are
made.
Where the fire originated was the
scene of a drunken carousal last night,
and while no demonstrations are being
made against the men who are respon-
sble for it, when the horrors of the
deed wear away from the victims, at
tention will be given to the men who
caused it. They are said to be Ital-
ians.
Various parties are now endeavoring
to extricate the remains from the ruins,
and until the ground cools sufficiently
to permit rescuers to approach the de-
bris 1t will be impossible to ascertain
definitely the names of the victims.
Several prominent mining men in the
West are said to have been in the town
at the time and are unaccounted for.
The fire started at Z o'clock in the
morning and spread with such rapidity
that in less than two hours not a house
in a radius that would cover five blocks
was left standing. On the other side
of the gulch hundreds of pounds of
giant powder was used in the attempt
to arrest the flames by demolishing
buildings, but eye witnesses state that
as soon as a gap was made the scat
tered buildings were licked up as if by
suction and thrown hundreds of feet in
every direction, only TO ignite. and in
crease the fury of the fire.
1t is said that an entire family, con-
sisting of a man and wife and three
children. who endeavored to save what
they had been years in accommodating.
have been found in the ruins, and as
the arrivals from the scene reach the
city, the devastation reported is only
the more pitiable and sad. DIR. Woods,
the company physician, narrowly es-
capped losing all his patients in the hos
pltal, but by good judgment a score Of
inmates were saved by him by being
removed early and hastily.
The reservoir which supplies the town
with water was undergoing repairs at
the time. but eye-witnesses state that
had the water been abundant after the
fire gained headway the result would
have been the same. So complete is
the destruction that refugees in this
city tonight are not only penniless but
are without necessary clothing as we'll
IL is said that w. A. Clark of Butte,
Mont, is one of the heavy losers by the
fire.