The Meeker herald., 1898-10-08
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
GREAT LOSS AT COLORADO
SPRINGS.
Tho Antlers Hotel aud Several Lambei
Yart,s aurned Besides = Lsrgs NumbeI
of Other Huildings-I.oss of Half )
Million.

| Denver. Oct. 2.-Ihe following dis
| patch TO the Rocky Mountain New.
| tells of the great cOnfingration thai
ragged at Colorado Springs yesterday:
Three fires broke out almost simul
taneousIy here this afternoon. One OF
| them set OF carload of black blast
ing powder. \ terrific explosion fol
lowed and an hour later over half I;
million dollalrs' worth of property wa.
destroyed and the whole city threatened
Denver, Pueblo and Cripple Creet
were asked for aid, and each of thes,
cities sent fremcn and fire apparatus
The greatest excitement prevailed af
ter the fire began to gain headway. ano
soon the streets were crowded with peo
pie fleeing for places of safety. House
We're stripped of their furniture ant
the goods We're loaded on wagons ant
conveyed to streets far away.
With the aid furnished by the ont
side fire department, the flames wer'
gotten under control at about Z O'Clock
but three blocks of property had beti
destroyed. including the handsome Ant
lcrs hotel. half IL dozen lumber yards,
two freight depots and numerous
| shacks and shanties.
The fire started shortly before 3
o'clock under the Rio Grnnde freight
depot. ut the foot Of Cucharas street.
| There was ii carload of powder stand
| ing next to the platform Of the depot.
consigned to q. s. Barnes 4 Sons. AT
tached 10 the carload of powder was Il
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
! car nf IN
place of safety. \ few minutes later
| the names envclopcd the powder car.
a dull explosion followed. the car flew
into Il 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 n Fowler. block and
II half away. and set fire to the dry
| timbers. \ wind that is estimated to
| have been blowing at the rate of forty
| miles an hour carried the flames across
| Huerfano street to the lumber Yards
of Sperry X Tuckerman. the Ell Paso
Lumber Company and the Newton
Lumber Company.
These yards all adjOin cnch other
and were soon in n blaze. The Antlers
hotel. whose rear was opposite the
Newton lumber yard, caught fire The
|
and endeavorcd to wet the building
down with garden hose and pals Of
water. but their efforts were useless
for the flames hurst In through the
rear windows and ignited everything
in their way until the entire rear wal
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 tye, and
the call for assistance was sent o
| The water pressure was not what Wns
expected, and, In fact. the blaze was 80
fierce Mt this time that even II deluge
would scarcely have done any good.
The people in the buildings in the
neighborhood of the fire moved out as
| as fast as they could. Truckmen
charged from $40 to S25 for taking
| away 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
Mt Z o'clock. and the tremen made
| good progress. bur. after IL lull of about
two hours. ii spranG up again. and the
| fircmen were compelled 10 Use every
effort to prevent the adjoining property
catching fire. In addition to the prop
erty destroyed which has already beel
described. there was one Gulf railroad
coach. which WAS standing close to the
freight depot. and four cars. which
We're destroyed with the depot. The
| Rio Grandc freight depot was entire
ly destroyed and eighteen freight cam
which stood near II.
The loss is estimated nj S50OO00 with
! $500, 900 insurance.