Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-04-24

movement. Famed by light breeze,
the flames quickly spread and soon
many blocks were seen to be doomed.
Then dynamite was resorted to and
the sound of frequent explosions added
to the terror of the people. All eli.
forts to stay the progress of the fire,
however, proved futile.
Business Section Ablaze.
The south side of Market street
from Ninth street to the bay was
soon ablaze, the fire covering a belt
two blocks WIDE On this, the main
thoroughfare of the city, are located
many of the finest edifices in the city,
including the Grant, Parrot, Flood,
"Call, Examiner" and Monadnock
buildings, the Palace and Grand ho-
tells and numerous wholesale houses.
At the same time the commercial
establishments and banks north of
Market street were burning. The
burning district in this section ex-
tended from Sansome street to the
water front, and from Market street
to Broadway. Fires also broke out in
the Mission and the entire city seemed
to be in flames.
Wholesale District Swept Clean.
The latest reports at police head
quarters show that the entire district
bounded by Vallejo, Howard, East and
Sansome streets, embracing practical
ly the entire wholesale portion of the
city, has been swept clean by the fire.
Also the district bounded by Second,
Market, Eighth and Folsom streets
has been devastated. In the latter dis
trict are included most of the city's
finest and most substantial buildings.
The area covered by the flames up to
the present time is about eight square
miles, or several hundred city blocks.
Very little, if any, water is available
and the blowing up of buildings by
dynamite Is the only means Of check
ing the progress of the flames. Most
Of the buildings untouched by the
flames have been greatly damaged by
the earthquake shocks. The pecuni-
airy loss is conservatively estimated at
$100,00O,000.
The flames, famed by the rising
breeze, swept down the main whole
sale business streets to within 100
feet of the Union ferry depot, the high
tower of which stood at a dangerous
angle. The big wholesale grocery es-
tablishment Of Wellman, Peck & Co.
was on fire from cellar to roof and the
heat was so oppressive that passengers
from the ferry boats were obliged to
keep close to the waters edge in or
der to get past the burning structure.
Opera Company Loses All.
The Conried Metropolitan Opera
House company, of New York, which
had just opened two weeks engage
ment at the Grand opera house, lost
its entire consignment Of valuable
scenery, and that the artists suffered
heavily in the loss of personal bag
gage.
Mayor Schmitz sent out orders that
physical necessities of the sufferers
be first attended to. Goldberg, Bowen
& Co. sent word that they had placed
all of their stores at the disposal of
Luo ClJy, luCluuAA6 IuS PAofASASAo Soh-
tanned therein.
Terror at Madhouse.
Supervisor Fred Horner, of Oakland,
who returned from San Jose in his au-
tomobile Wednesday afternoon, states
that the Agnews asylum, near that
city, is a total wreck; that many of
the inmates were killed and that the
remainder are running around loose.
terrorized the community. The SUI
perintendent of the institution and his
wife were both killed.
Tells Blood Curdling Story.
& A. w. Hussey went to the station
at the Hall of Justice shortly before
ten o'clock Wednesday morning and
told how, at the direction of police
man whom he did not know, but
whose star numSsy hs savs - GLIB,