The San Francisco call., 1898-08-09
ORIGIN OF FIRE IS UNKNOWN
LOSSES WILL REACH HUNDREDS
 OF THOUSANDS.
Bremen Powerless to Check the Ravagos of the Flames-Many People Rendered
 Homeless.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

BISMARCK, N. D., Aug. Sire 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 agents office of the Northern Pa cific depot. Almost before they were discovered the entire building and the immense warehouse of the company were in flames.
 Oils and powder contributed fuel ana before the flames could be checked they had spread to the block Of brick buildings across the alley, destroying the Tribune office, flares 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 lew minutes The Central Block followed and the flames spread to the postonlce, sweeping over the entire block ana carrying down the postoffice, Mer- chants Bank block, Griffin block ana all the intermediate frame ana Drlck structures. The fire crossed the street and devoured Kupitz's store and the greater part of the block. The flames also advanced north into a residence block and completely destroyed it: The firemen were powerless to check the 1n- roads 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. It is impossible to estimate the loss tonight. All the wires are burned, the Western Union office be- ing one of the first to go The railroad office was also destroyed. A temporary cut-in was made to handle imperative business.
 The following buildings were de- stroyed: Penwarden'S confectionery store, Morris shoe store. flares hard ware store, the Tribune Publishing Company. B. Raithwaite's shoe store, First National Bank, Bardsley's drug store. Eppinger's clothing store. Rem ington's drug store, Gussner's grocery, J. c. Kuntzs cigar factory, GoruSch.s bakery, Wensig's cigar factory. SmalIs restaurant Wilcox's dry goods store, Phelps stationery store, Sweets gro l cery. the Postoffice Kuntz' restaurant, Slattery's grocery, Massen's paint shop, Review office, Kupitz' grocery, Mer1- cle's poolroom, Booths restaurant, Morehaus' stationery store, De GraffS clothing store. Mrs. Dunn's millinery store Steimitz' harness shop, Justice ] TibbalPs office Doble's clothing store, United States Land Office, Surveyor Generals office, Rests drygoods store, Northern Pacific tstation, baggage and express office and freight warehouse, Wills seed store, Melons bank build i ing, lawyers office of R. H. Register. Boucher & Philbrick, State Attorney Allen, County Judge Fort. c. D. Edick, Alexander Hughes, A. T. Patterson and several others.
 Every drug store in the city Is burned | 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 narrow escape, ! but was saved.
 The line of fire extended from the 1 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.