Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-09-05
'RAWH|DE
SWEPT BY
BIG FIRE
Three thousand People
Left Homeless
S75O,0o0 PROPERTY DAMAGE
BY CONFEDERATION
MANY BUILDINGS DYNAMITED TO
PREVENT TOTAL LOSS
Business District In Ashes-ReIIef Is
Hurried to Stricken Mining Town.
Two Men Are Reported
cremated

by Associated Press
nAWHIDE, New, Sept. A.
X Three thousand people
~ homeless, score or more
injured and a property loss of
over $750,000, is the result of a
disastrous fire which started at
o:30 this morning in DIR. Gar
ner's office, located in the Raw
hide Drug company's building.
The fire spread quickly to the
Ross hotel, from whence its
sweep was uninterrupted south
and east to Balloon avenue and
up Rawhide avenue to within
fifty yards of the Peoples
hospital.
Over a ton and half of dyna-
mite was used in the demolition
of buildings, which in measure
stayed the flames progress.
The volunteer fire department worked
heroically, but on account of the in
fiammable construction of the build
ings they were swept away like tin
der.
At II o'clock the business portion of
the city was a smouldering mass of
ruins, the flames being finally checked
south of Balloon avenue.
A famine threatens now, as all the
grocery and supply houses were de-
stroyed.
Big Relief Fund Raised
A subscription list has been started
and over $4,000 already has been sub
scribed, and by nightfall it is said
$4,000 will be in the hands of the
committee. The relief committee is
headed by e. w. King.
The newspapers, Press, Times and
Rustler, were saved, although the ma
chinery of the News plant was, de-
stroyed.
Perfect order prevails. A special
train left Reno to rush provisions, bed
ding etc. There is not enough food
in the town to last the day
How Fire Started
The fire started in veritable fire.
trap and spread with lightninglike
rapidity despite the vigorous efforts
of the fire department and 500 miner
volunteers. Eight blocks, comprising
all the business section of the town,
were soon a mass of flames.
The fire fighters soon discovered
their efforts were of no avail against
| the fire, so they began dynamltlng
adjacent buildings.
! Among the first buildings to go was
| Collins hardware store, which con-
| tained two tons of dynamite that ex-
ploded with terrific force, hurting
burning planks and boards a great
distance, setting fire to numerous
| buildings simultaneously.
/ nh; e,f,. 70 cd the ArnrnAn fO
! fight the flames with dynamite, which
prompt action saved the outlying por-
| tions of the town.
| A strong wind was blowing, which
swept the flames southwark across
Rawhide avenue and east across Ne
vada street.
Total Loss $75o,ooo
The buildings destroyed will alone re-
suit in a financial loss of $750,000, with
no insurance The contents of the
buildings are complete loss and will
swell the total considerably more.
Many people were slightly injured by
| flying debris. Two are reported dead.
| Many acts of heroiSm were enacted
and were it not for the cool headed
ones among the fire fighters several
fatalities would have resulted.
Frenzied men, whose fortunes were
going up in flame, rushed madly for
ward in their attempts to save their
belongings, and would have perished
had not restraining hands detained
! them.
| A famine was feared, as all the sup
ply houses and grocery stores We're
wiped out. Dispatches sent to Reno
said:
eve have lots of money. but no
grub
Acting on these messages, a subscrip-
| 80 eyfo rfad and In q fpU min
! utes over $4,000 was raised and a relief
train started from Reno at o'clock
| containing thousands of pounds of food
and bedding.
All Come to Aid
All the mining towns of the state
came to the assistance of the Rawhide
sufferers with cash contributions.
San Francisco MINNIE exchange at
once sent contribution of $780,
| A partial list Of the heaviest losers
| is as follows:
hide, Press Times building Mizpah
Mercantile company, Nevada Meat
market, the Northern (''Tex" Rick
ards), e. E. Marx & Co., Nevada club.
| Downer hotel, l&elly's dance hall, the
loss on the above aggregating over
| $100,000
The fire destroyed the hosting works
of the Bluff Mining company Grutt-
Hill properties, and the Grutt boys
business office. the loss amounting to
$4,000, which is the extent of the dam
age done to the mining properties.
| One of the first kilograms sent out
was an order for lumber for the con-
struction of six buildings, and plans
were we'll under way for the recon-
struction of the town before the ashes
we're thoroughly cool.
! Rawhide is a typical mining town,
and up to two years ago had a popula-
tion OF 5000. Since the excitement OF
| xContinaed on Page TNo.l