Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-10

lowed on the streets after Z o'clock, and
| the same rule will be enforced for sew
eral days to come. Mayor Hinchliffe
and Sheriff Sturr are working in har-
mony for the preservation of order and
oined in the proclamation of martial
law. Governor Murphy was here last
evening and has promised all aid possi-
BILE.
Robbers at Work.
Considerable looting was reported
while the fire was in progress, but the
rigid enforcement of military rule is
expected to prevent serious loss in this
way.
An order by the mayor forbids the
selling of liquor, but this was ignored
and some disorder resulted. Today
however, this rule, too, is being en-
forced rightly.
Altho 1000 families We're driven from
home. nearly all losing everything but
the clothes they wore,' there is little Sc
rious distress. as the residences burned
are mostly homes of well-io-do people.
Prompt measures for relief We're taken.
and many cities offered aid, but so far
nothing has been asked from outside,
the auIt1OTltlSS DelIlS CoLiiAoSAis SAASS NsA',
cope with the situation.
Big Factories Escape.
None of the more important manu-
featuring plants was lost in the fire,
and this means that little idleness Will
result.
Long before daylight people from
nearby towns began arriving to watch
the spectacle. and during the day spe-
cial trains brought in thousands more,
until the crowds became unmanageable,
ignoring the militia's orders and inter-
fering with the work of thes fire de-
partment.
The fire was grand spectacle. and
even last night the sky for miles was
red with the glow.
Within few seconds after the fire
started the high wind famed the flame
into q fierce blaze, and before the fire.
men reached the scene the fire was be-
yond their control. The flames swept
thru the old car sheds to Van Houten
street, taking the Continental Hall and
bursting out in Main street. the busi-
ness street of the city. Quackenbush's
big dry goods store was the first i'm
rortant structure to go.
At the same time the flames leaped
to the other side of the street and took
the Boston Store, the largest depart
ment store in the city. In these two
nearly $1,000,0O0 was lost. In it's course
with the wind the fire swept down the
First Baptist church. the high school,
the old city hall, the First National
Bank, the Young Mems Christian As
sociation building. the News building,
the fine new city hall, which cost over
100000; the Romaine building. an Of
flee building; the Paterson National
Bank. and on thru Market and Ellison
streets, taking hundreds of the finest
structures in the city. /.
At first the flames went In leaps.
starting fires In many separate places.
The high wind carried great volumes of
sparks for blocks and caused fires to
start in the roofs Fires We're raging
in so many places at once that the fire.
men could not distribute themselves.
and these places We're simply allowed
TO burn down. Soon the spaces between
these fires closed up in the heart of the
city, and the great mass of seething
flames swept on in an awful march of
devastation.
The wind was from the northwest.
and the direction of the fire followed
the course of the wind. 1t cut swath
over two blocks wide and travelled fully
a mile. jumping at intervals In a
strange manner before 1t burned itself
out.
From the car shed in Broadway 1t
travelled east across Main street, taking
the blocks bounded by Broadway and
Market street. 1t crossed in it's path
Washington, Church, Paterson. and the
Erie tracks, Straight, Madison. Beech,
Vine and Carroll streets, almost reach
ing to the armory In Graham avenue.
The car sheds III which the fire
started We're a group of old wooden
barns. Part of them formed the old
wigwam, a place for the great political
gatherings of many years ago. There
We're eleven trolley cars In the sheds and
they filled up the space so that they
impeded the work OF the firemen.
The families living in adjoining
houses had to flee for their lives. They
appeared on the street in their night
clothes. They were taken out of the
bitter night by nefghbors who were out
of the range of the fire.
Embers Ignite Church.
The sky was filed with large sparks,
which were carried for half dozen
blocks by the high wind. One OF these
lodged in the belfry of the First Baptist
church. The open lattice work allowed
the wind to fan the spark into blaze,
and soon the tall spire was shaft of
flame. This was a new center for the
distribution of sparks, two blocks away
from the car sheds.
The old city hall, in Washington
street, was the next building to catch
fire. 1t burned slowly and probably the
blaze would have died out but for the
hours later from the car sheds.
A great crowd gathered around the
First Baptist church to see the wonder
full pillar of fire. Within half an hour
after it took fire, at 10 o'clock. the
steeple fell. Bending like bow, with
it's center to the west, the steeple tot
tered for a second and then with a
crash ii fell across the streets, carry
ing a tree with 1t. Part of it struck the
high school and set that building on
fire. When the steeple fell it was
thought that the church would be saw
ed, but the fire spread downward and
soon the whole length of the building
was in flames.
A call was sent to Newark and Pas
sale for aid as soon as it was realized
that with the gale that was then pre-