The record-union., 1898-08-09
Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollar s. Worth
Of Property Destroyed.
Scores Of Buildings Licked Up by
the Flames as So Much Paper
The Bulk Of the Business Por-
ton and Several Blocks of Res
licences in Ruins-Many Fami-
lies Homeless.

BISMARCK On. d., Aug. S.-Fire
destroyed the best portion of the city
of Bismarck this evening, licking up
hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of property.
The flames originated in the agent S
office of the Northern Pacific depot. AL
most before they were discovered the
entire building and the immense ware
house of the company were in flames.
Oils and powder contributed fuel. and
had spread to a block of brick build
ings across the alley, destroying the
Tribune" office, Hare's hardware store
and an entire row of buildings.
The flames then leaped the street to
the magnificent First National Bank
building, which melted away in a few
minutes. The Central block followed,
and the flames spread to the Postoffice,
sweeping over the entire block and car
rying down the Postoffice. Merchants
Bank block, Griffin block and all the
intermediate frame and brick struc-
lures.
The fire then spread across and de-
voured KupitZs store and the greater
part of the block. The flames also
spread EOftn INTO a TeSlueuCe DlOck, anu
completely destroyed it.
Firemen were powerless to check the
inroads of the fire, which spread to
scores Of buildings. licking them up as
so much waste paper.
The origin of the fire is unknown, as
no one was in the freight office when
it started. 1t is impossible to estimate
the loss tonight. All wires are burn
ed, the Western Union office being one
of the first to go. The railroad Office
was also destroyed. A temporary cut
in was made to handle imperative busi-
ness.
The following buildings were de-
stroyed: Penwarden's confectionery
store, Morris shoe store, Hare's hard
ware store, the Tribune" Publishing
Company, b. Raithwate's shoe store,
First National Bank, Bardsley's drug
store, Eppinger clothing store, Reming-
ton drug store, Gussner grocery, ]. G.
Cuntz cigar factory, Wenzig cigar fac
tory, Small's restaurant, Wilcox dry
goods store, Phelps stationery store,
Sweets grocery, the Postoffice, Kuntz's
restaurant, Slattery's grocery, Massen' S
paint shop, Review office, Kupitz' s
grocery, Mericles poolroom, Booth s
restaurant, Morehaus' stationery store,
De CRAFTS clothing store, Mrs, Dunn s
millinery, SteinmitZ's harness shop,
Justice Tibball's office, Dobles clothing
store, United States Land Office, Sur
veyor Generals office, baggage and ex-
press office and freight warehouse,
Wits seed store, Melons bank build
ing, lawyers offices of r. H. Register,
Boucher & Philbrick, States Attorney
Allen, County Judge Fort, c. d. Edick,
Alex Hughes, \. T. Patterson and sew
eral others.
Every drug store in the city is ruin
ed, and all the groceries but two or
three, also two newspaper offices and
the great bulk of the business portion
Of the city, with several blocks of resi-
dences. Many people are homeless.
The Sheridan House had a narrow es-
cape, 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