La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-10-08
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
GREAT LOSS AT COLORADO
! SPRINGS.
The An,Isrs Hotel and several Lumber
YASds Barned 8esides = Large Number
of Other Baiidings-Loss Of Half ).
Miilloa.


Denver. Oct. 2-The following dis
patch to the Rocky Mountain News
tells OF the great coniiarration that
ragged ai Colorado Springs yesterday:
Three fires broke out almost stimuli
taneousiy here this afternoon. One Of
them set OF a carload OF black blast
Ing powder. \ 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 Creek
were asked for aid. and each OF these
cities sent firemen and fire apparatus
The greatest excitement prevailed ar
ter the fire began to gain hcadway. and
sbon the streets We're 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 TO streets far away.
With the aid furnished by the out
side fire department, the flames were
gotten under control at about Z o'clock,
but three blocks OF property had been
destroyed. including the handsome Ant
lcrs hotel. half dozen lumber yards,
iwO freight depo,s and numerous
shacks and shanties.
The fire started shortly before >
o'clock under III. Rio Grande freiehi
depot. al the foot OF Cucharas street.
There was Il carload OF powder stand
ing next TO the platform OF the depot.
consigned to @. =. Barnes X Sons. Al
iached 10 the carload OF powder was n
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 WAS removed To
- xlt,.N tlt lt.Af
.he naines enveloped the powder ear.
\ dull explosion followed, the car flew
into a thousand pieces. and cans of
powder were hurled through the air
distance of two and a half blocks.
Some of them fell Into the lumber
yard Of Crcssey X Fowler. a block and
a half away. and set fire TO the dry
iimbers. 4 wind that is estimated to
have been blowing nj The rate OF forty
miles an hour carried the flames across
Huerfano street to the lumber yards
OF Sperry Il Tuckernan, the FL Paso
Lumber Company and the Newton
Lumber Company.
These yards all adjoin each other.
and were soon in blaze. The Antlers
hotel. whose rear was opposite the
Newton lumber yard, caught fire. The
employees displayed marked bravery
and endearorcd to wet the building
down with garden hose and pals of
water. but their efforts We're useless,
for the flames burst in through the
rear windows and igniied everything |
In their way until the entire rear was |
in one big blaze.
In the meantime the guests hurried |
out 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 1t could not cope with The fire, and |
the call for assistance was sent
The water pressure was not what was |
expected. and, in fact the blaze was SO |
fere at this time that even q delugc |
would scarcely have done any good.
The people in the buildings in the |
neighborhood OF the fire moved out as |
as fas as they could Truckmcn |
charged from sio to $50 for taking |
away n load OF goods.
At dusk the city was in darkness. the |
electric wires had been thrown down. |
and the people were compelled 10 Use
candles for light The wind died out |
Mt O'clock, and the fircmen made |
good progress. but. after lull of about |
two hours. 1t sprang up again. and the
firemen were compelled TO use every
effort TO prevent the adjoining property
catching fire. In addition 10 the prop
erty destroyed which has already been
described, there was one Gulf railroad
coach. which was standing close to the
freight depot. and four cars, which
were destroyed with the depot. The
Rio Grnnde freight depot was entire
~ destroyed and eighteen freight cars
which stood near IL.
The loss is estimated at 100000 with