Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-08-24
FIRE WIPES OUT 4
COLORADO TOWN.
Practically the Entire Business Por-
ton Of Victor Destroyed
Last Evening.
THE LOSS is OVER 100000
Dynamite Used to Head or the
Conflasration, but 1t Could
Not Be stoppcd---No
Lives Lost.

Cripple Creek, Colo, Aug. 30
Fire has utterly destroyed the bust
ness portion of the city of Victor,
eausing loss estimated at $2,O0o,ooo.
Beginning shortly after 1.-THE fire
ragged until evening, consuming every
thing in its way. 1t had it's origin, it
is thought, in the Merchants cafe, adj
joining the Bank of Victor, on the cor
ner OF Third street and Victor avenue.
\ strong wind from the south famed
the flames and in a few minutes all
the surrounding houses were atire.
The town had been built in the early
lays of the camp and was of pine tim
Der for the most part, and burned like
paper. Efforts were made to stop the
progress of the flames by blowing up
buildings in it's path by means of
dynamite, and all afternoon the hills
roared with the explosions, but the eff
fort was in vain.
The fire claimed the Bank of Victor,
the postoffice, the row of blocks be-
tween Third and Fourth streets to the
north, the Victor Banking company,
the office of the Western Telegraph
and Colorado Telephone company, the
Hotel Victor and the great shaft
houses of the Gold Coin Mining com
pany and it's ore bins, among the
largest in the Cripple Creek district,
the Florence and the Cripple Creek
depot and the fine new depot of the
Midland Terminal road. All the build
ings between the depots are total
loss, with practically all their con-
tents, for the flames were SO rapid in
their progress that nothing could be
saved.
The scenes of the great Cripple
Creek fire were duplicated. Hurrying
before the roaring flames went men,
women and children, carrying what
they could snatch from the flames,
running for their lives. The crash of
buildings torn asunder by dynamite
and the cracllle of the flames as they
consumed the dry buildings, FASTENED
their flight ana the pail of smoke add
ed terror to 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 We're rushed to
the scene. They worked all afternoon
in a vain endeavor to stay ths-niarch
of the flames. The residence portion
Of the city has suffered comparatively
little. but the business portion Isl para
lived and suffering is bound to follow.
The burned area hay be roughly
designated as the space between the
head of North street and Victor ave-
nue., extending from the Gold Coin
mine buildings on the west to point
near Second street and down Third
street almost to Diamond avenue.
The first house was built in Victor in
October, 1893. In July of the follow
ing year the city was Incorporated.
and six years later 1t contained 10000
people. That is about the population
now.
The fire was gotten under control
last evening Conservative estimates
place the loss at $2,O0O,O0O.
The heaviest losses are: Gold Coin
Mining comE" Y. consisting of shaft,
ore house machinery, 100000;
Woods Invesi ut company, 100000;
J. b. Cunningham. $4,000; Morrell
Hardware company, $4,000: Florence
and Cripple Creek railroad. Se5 900;
Iompkins Hardware company, $25 900;
A. b. llumstead. 100000: Mayor Rob-
ert Donnelly, $4,000; Hettcn & Co.,
$4,000; Geo. r. Simonton drugs. S12.-
BOO; Geo. Bockringer, $4,000; j. T..
Trenbard, $4,000; VIM. Sexton, Slo,-
BOO; Victor Banking company, $4,000:
Bank of Victor, $4,000; Daily Record,
$500; Evening Times, $4,000; Colo
RADIO Trading and Transfer company,
100000; Victor Supply company, $751;
200: Gardner Mercantile company $25.-
200: Midland Terminal rnil,vay e. soo.
Jim Ducey. $4,000; Arthur Reynolds,
$4,000; Stebbins & Co., $4,000: Shill-
ing Dry Goods company, $4,000.