The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-22
A Confagration at Victor
Causes a Loss Estimated
at 100000.
SCENE ONE OF TERROR
III the Principal Business Houses
Are Consumed and Many De-
strOyed by Dynamite.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo, Aug. I'll
Fire has utterly destroyed the business
portion of the city Of Victor, causing
a loss estimated at 81, 600 900. Beginning
shortly after noon the fire ragged until
evening, consuming everything in its
way 1t had its origin. it is thought.
in the Merchants Cafe, adjoining the
Bank of Victor, on the corner of Third
street and Victor avenue. strong
wind from the south famed the flames
and in a few minutes all the surround
ing houses were afire.
Help was summoned from Cripple
Creek, but the town had been built in
the early days of the camp and was of
pine timber for the most part, and
burned like paper. Efforts were made
to stop the progress of the flames by
blowing UP buildings in their path by
means of dynamite, and all afternoon
the hills have roared with the eXplo-
sions, but the effort was in vain.
The fire claimed the Bank Of Victor,
the postoffice On the corner opposite,
crossed Third street and followed the
row of blocks between Third and
Fourth streets to the north, taking the
Victor Banking Company, the west
ern Union Telegraph Company ONCE
and the office Of the Colorado Telephone
Company the Hotel Victor, on the OPP
posite side of Fourth street, and the
three great shaft houses of the Gold
Coin Mining Company and its ore pms,
among the largest in the Cripple Creek
district. From there the flames were
swept nCrthward by the half hurricane
which was blowing, and never stopped
until they had taken the Florence ana
Grir and the fine new
depot of the Midland Terminal road, at
the head of Fourth street. All the
buildings between these are total loss,
with practically all their contents, for
the flames were so rapid in their prog
resS that nothing could be saved.
The scenes of the great Cripple Creek
confiagration were duplicated. Hurry
ing before the roaring flames went
men, women and children, carrying
what they coulu snatch from the
flames, racing for their lives. The crash
of buildings torn asunder by dynamite
and the crackle of the flames as they
consumed the dry buildings hastened
their flight, and the pail OF smoke ADDED
a terror 70 the spectacle.
A special train was placed at the
command of this city by the Florence
and Cripple Creek Railroad, and three
companies of firemen, with apparatus,
were rushed to the scene. They worked
all afternoon in a vain endeavor to stay
the march of the flames. The residence
portion of the city has suffered COM
paratively little, but the business por-
ton is paralyzed and suffering is bound
to follow. The burned area may be
roughly designated as the space be-
tween the head of Fourth street and
Victor avenue, extending from the Cold
Coin mine buildings ON the west TO
point near Second street, and down
Third street almost to Diamond avenue.
The fire was gotten under control this
evening. Conservative estimates place
the loss at 81. 100000.
The first house was built in Victor in
October. 1898 In July of the following
year the city was incorporated, and five
years later it contained 10000 people.
That is about the population now.
The heaviest losses are: Gold Coin
mine, consisting of shaft, ore houses
and machinery, 100000; the Woods In
vestment Company, 100000; ]. B. Cum
nigham. S75. 900; Morrell Hardware
Company, $25, 900; Florence and Cripple
Creek Railway, $25, 600; Tomkins Hard
ware Company, $25, 000 A. B. Bum
stead, $50. 900; Mayor Robert Donnelly,
S25, 900: Ketter & Co, $4,000; I. Ampeter
Clothing Company, $4,000; George E.
Simonton, drugs, $4,000; George Book
finger, $1,000; J. ]. Trenchard $4,000;
William Sexton, SO, 900; Victor Banking
Company, $4,000: Bank of Victor, $4,000;
Daily Record, $1,000; Evening Times,
s500O Colorado Trading and Transfer
Company, $40, 900; Victor Supply Com
pany, s25, 600; Gardner Mercantile Com
pany. $40 900; Midland Terminal Rail
way, $75. 900; Jim Durey, $1,000; Arthur
Reynolds, $50, 900; Stebbins & Co., $16
900; Shilling Dry Goods Company, $f6,-
900.