Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-08-09
A CITY DESTROYED
BEST PART OF BISMARCK, n. H..
BURNED LAST NIGHT.
FEW BUSINESS PLACES LEFT
EVERY DRUG STORE GONE AND ALL
BUT THREE GROCERIES.
Several Blocks of Residences Burned
Also. and Many People Are HOme-
less-LOss Cannot Be Esti-
mated Ms Yet-Insurance
Perhaps HaIf.
FEW BUSINESS PLACES LEFT
EVERY DRUG STORE GONE AND ALI
BUT THREE GROCERIES.

| BISMARCK, n. D., Aug. S.-Fire Destroy
| ed the best portion of the city of Bismarck
/ this evening. licking UP hundreds of thou
! sands of dollars worth of property. The
! flames originated in the agents office of the
| Northern Pacific depot. Almost before they
| We're discovered, the entire building and
| the immense warehouse of the company
| were in flames. Oils and powder contribut-
| ed fuel and before the flames could be
| checked they had spread to the block of
brick buildings across the alley destroying
| the Tribune office. Hare's hardware store
and an entire row of buildings.
The flames then leaDed the street to the
| magnificent First National building, which
melted away in a few minutes. The Cen
tral block followed. and the flames spread
to the postottice. sweeping over the entire
| block and carrying down the postoffice.
Merchants Bank block. Griffin block and
all the intermediate frame and brick struc-
lures.
The fire then spread across and devoured
Kupitz' store and the greater part of the
block. The flames also spread north into
a residence block and completely destroyed
1t.
Firemen We're powerless to check the in
| roads of the fire, which spread to scores of
buildings. licking them up so much
| waste paper.
one was in the freight Office when it start
ed. 1t is impossible to estimate the loss
| tonight. All wires are burned out, the
Western Union Office being one of the first
| to go. The railroad office also was de-
stroyed. temporary cut-in was made to
handle imperative business.
The following buildings were destroyed
completely: Penwarden's confectionery
store. Morris shoe store Hare's hardware,
the Tribune Publishing Company. Eraith-
waite's shoe store, First National bank,
Beardsley drug store, Eppinger clothing
store, Remington drug store. Gussner gro
| Gerry. j. c. Cuntz cigar factory, Gorsuch's
bakery, Wen's cigar factory, Smalrs res
taurant, Wilcox's dry goods store, Phelps
stationery store. Sweets grocery, the post
office, Kuntz' restaurant, Slattery's gro
Gerry Massen's paint shop, Review office,
Kupitz' grocery, Mericles' poolroom,
Booths restaurant. Merhaus' stationery
store DeGratf's clothing store. Mrs. Dunn's
millinery, Steinmetz' harness shop, JUS
United States land office surveyor gen
erals office, Bests dry goods store, North
ern Pacific offices, baggage and express
ONCE and freight warehouse. Wills seed
store, MELONS bank building, law offices
OF X. I'll. Register. Boucher & Philbrick
State Attorney Allen. County Judge F.
0rt. c. D. Edick, Alexander Hughes, A T.
Peterson and several others. Every drug
store in the city is burned and all the
groceries but two or three, also two news
paper offices and the great bulk of the
business portion of the city. with several
homeless. The Sheridan house had a mar
row escape. but was saved. The line of
fire extended from the Northern Pacific
tracks to Thayer street on the north and
Fourth to Third streets on the east and
west. insurance may cover half the loss.