The Washington times., 1902-02-10

'Noiit--A-SH
cause it was supposed up to the last
moment that the building would escape
10 matter what happened.
The occupants of neighboring buildings
felt SC sure Of that that they carried
much of their own property into the city
hall and stacked it up in the corridors
for safety. 1t was all destroyed.
Valuable Papers Destroyed.
Most every lawyer in town sought the
rity hall as a place of security for his
valuable papers. and the result was the
loss of hundreds of documents.
The loss r.rst generally regretted
throughout the entire city is that of the
public library. This was in the old Dan
forth homestead, fire brick building on
Market Street. that for many years was
the dwelling house Of the late Charles
Danforth. It was given TO the city by
his daughter. Mary F.. Ryle, in 1888, and
has since been called the Danforth
Library. The building had been enlarg
ed and improved recently. and the value
of the building alone was $25 900. 1t
contained about zee 600 books.
The burned area is but little short of
. mile in length. extending diagonally
hcrCss the town from Van Houten and
Mulberry Streets in jagged lane OF an
Carroll Street. Here and there within
that area a single house or a group of
two or three escaped the flames and were
left upscOrched, but surrounded By wreck
anG ruin.
Catholic Church Burned.
The boundaries of the general blackness
and desolation are marked on the west
BY the tower of the gutted city hall. and
On the east by the front wall and the
cross of St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Til. loss on the church ard the parochial
school and nunnery which belonged to 1t
was $300 0e0.
The loss on the city hall was $3.50, COO
They are the two top figures in the list
Of damages.
The cause Of the fire was an overhcated
stove in the repair shop adjoining the
wooden carsheds at Van Houten and Mul-
berry Streets, about block west from the
big business district. The agency that
developed that shed blaze into $40 .OOO. 600
confiaRration was a northwest wind blow
ing al the rate OF forty miles an hour.
Sparks Spread Blaze.
The millions OF sparks and embcrs were
blown across the city with quick results
One OF these lodged in the belfry OF the
First Baptist Church. and another on the
roof Of the cid city hall, four-story
stone building. that had been used by
lawyers as an Office building ever since
The city government moved into the new
building in Market Street.
The steeple OF the church and the roof
Of the stone Office building blazed up
simultaneously. The church steeple fell
al l:30 o'clock. 1t fairly melted down at
the base for hall the length and then
toppled. falling point downward on the
oof OF the church.
Fire Then Escaped.
That is when the fire got away from the
fire lighters Flames shot up from the
church roof and sparks were swept in
uiyriads down Main and Washington
Streets.
II was 5 o'clock in the morning when
the blaze reached the city hall In the
meantime it had cleared out two whole
business blocks back of the city hall,
west OF Church Street and south of Van
Houten. The northern boundary of thai
particular area was the double ridge of
smoIderiDg ruins which showed where
The Main aud Washington Street stores
had been four hours before.
As soon as the fire was under control
city off,ciais. citizens. and clcrgymen all