The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-15
I'LL @SbN TIL HOdNs
Sweeps Over Dawson City Caus-
Jag a Loss
OF 100000 in Buildings and
Stocks of Goods.
A BURNING OIL LAMP
Thrown by a Woman at An
other in a Saloon.
She is the Same Who Started
the Big Fire Last Year.

Skaguay, Alaska, Nov.7, Wit Victoria,
B. c., Nov. 15.-Returning KIondikers
arriving in this city today bring the
news that the city of Dawson has been
visited with a 100000 fire in which 40
buildings were burned, including the
new postoff1ce building and some of the
best buildings in the city.
The fire took place on the morning of
October 16. It started in the Green Tree
saloon as the result of a row between
two women of the town. Belle Mitchell
threw a lighted lamp at another wo-
man. The lamp broke, the oil spread
and In a few seconds the building was
on fire. The fire started at 500 a. m
Inc fire of year ago was caused by
thlS same woman who threw a lamp at
a man with whom she had a Quarrel
A month ago she tried to burn her own
place in Third avenue in Dawson bv
throwing a lamp at a woman and near
~ caused cOnhagration by again los
lighted lamp.
The news of the confederation was
brought out by several of the miners
VINO arrived in this city. The steamer
ora Ieft Dawson October 20 and 20
through passengers reached Bennett
yesterday morning.
AT the time the police CONS. sounded
the nre alarm light wind was blowing
down the Yukon and the people saw
that 1t would require speedy and quick
work to save the town from total de-
structton. The postOffice was the next
building south of the Green Tree saloon
and the work of getting the mail matter
out was quickly done. Although nearly
all the mail matter was saved 1t is in
great confusion.
All that remains to show where form
erly 40 buildings stood are a few black
ened logs and the town was saved from
total destruction by the fire engine. If
1t had not been that about 600 men
turned out and worked like troians with
wet blankets, buckets of water and axes
and aided in the operation of the fire
apparatus, the whole town would have
gone up in smoke. The Klondike Mug
get says that the losses will be difficult
to estimate, but the following list is
given out:
son & McGrath's New England saloon
$4,000; Green Tree saloon, $35. 900; Empire
Johnson, stock and building, 500 OOO Van
c0uyer hotel, $25: 600 John Sargent, saloon
Ear, $1,000; Case & Cilsey, IS 600: Mason
Iorfoni, Jack Thorne, proprietor, and Mel
ne Lewis and several others, $4,000: Hy-
6oor boot and shoe store, $4,000; e. A
suffer, jeweler, lost9everythtng he had: /
tailor. stock and building. Sc, 900: George
d B8GGeWsett tailor, 5000; Foley. butcher. So
900; Seattle lunch counter So. 600; restau-
Of the Street SIS 60 tWelT 6 c 9PP0sff Side
ture, ETC. $4,000; damages to buildings
etc, $4,000; damages to goods and stocks
claimed by losers to be 500. 900 deductine
50 per cent, $4,000. Total, $5O8, 900. There
IS no insurance at Dawson and the loss
falls entirely on the individuals.
The mounted police are investigating the
origin of the fire. 1t was at first thought
that the fire was the result of an incen-
diary, but this suspicion has been entirely
dissipated. ~
The miners now in Skaguay left Dawson
on the steamer Ora and at White Horse
transferred to the steamer Olive May and
came 70 bennett From White Pass they
G. came to his city on the railroad which
IS opera ting two trains daily between this
found in the upper river, which is re-
markable at this time OF the year The
h i ice seen was coming out of Teheena
into the Yukon. At Marsh Lake there
was a little ice, but it was not over a
quarter of an inch thick and the steamer
had no difficulty in pushing her Wav
tilr The Ora is the last steamer Of
the season All the rest are now tied up
until the river opens in the spring
1t IS said there is not enough lumber and
window glass in Dawson to rebuild the
burned district and that the people are in
distress and will have to live in tents for
the rest of the winter
Work done on short notice without
extra charge. Peerless Steam Laundry