The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-11-05
Residents Remained Optimis-
tic Despite Huge Losses and
Immediately Took Steps to
Carry on-Nearby Towns
Offered Aid

Yellowed with age and carrying
.,roud predictions of B.smarck's fu
ture growth, a copy Of tho Bismarck
Weekly Tribune Of August IL, 1893
telling Of the great fire which dev.
astated the city, has been received
here.
The paper, Of four pages, tells Of
little else than the fire. In the edi.
torial columns the editor, NJ. H
Jewell, declares: "The fire has
taken the heart out of Bismarck but
not out of her people,"
Nearly every business place SUI
fered large losses in the fire. The
paper placed NJ. Eppinger'.- loss al
S25 900, p. c. Remington, $4,000;
Wills seed store, 81 300; the Hughes
electric company, 81 200; First Ma
tional Bank, $4,000; Merchants
Bank, $4,000; Bismarck Tribune,
$40, Northern Pacific railway
$26, 500; Chas. Kupitz, $4,000;
Griffin, $4,000, and Alex McKen-
zie, $4,000.
Nearby towns offered every aid
to the stricken residents of Bis
marck, the paper shows. The Man
dan fire department came over on
special train to help battle the
flames.
Relief Fund Started
From Steele came a note y E. G..
Patterson, at that time mayor, Of
fering $40 as the start Of relief
fund for residents of Bismarck. 1t
was from p. ]. Lyons, then mayor.
Patterson replied to Lyons in an
other letter which is reprinted, say
ing: "The fife king has indeed
smote our city with heavy hand
and the principal part of the bust
ness portion Of our fair city lies in
ruins. But ours are a brave peo-
pie, the smouldering ms are be-
ing cleared away preparatory to
rebuilding, and while the catastro-
phe has brought distress, both
county and city are able and willing
to relieve, without assistance from
generous contributors like yourself,
IN all cases that may call for aid.
A letter of sympathy to General
Hughes from James j. Kerr queries:
is there a fatal " in the fact that
the destruction of the city should SO
closely follow the death Of the Iron
Chancellor? prince Bismarck OF
Ilrmany.)"
Citizens Optimistic
Throughout the paper the spirit
Of optimism was reflected. Little
.tems told of how t.,e.various bust
ness mel were preparing to re-
build their establishments, lad there
were notes oh as these:
"Presic ent C.. B. Little of the
First National Bank returned today
and with his customary energy is at
work preparing for new build
ing" !.
"Deputy Barber brought Secre:
.ary Falley' wheel down from the
capitol-placed in Beardsley's Drug
store for safekeeping-Yhile he as,
sisted in removing few kegs Of
powder from the path of the flames
brave man - but Falley's whee
will not revolve any more"
Up. C. bennington has gone below
for new stock"
1.-THE city CLERK office went uI
in the flames, but the records are in
the safes. which are probably al
right"
"Gussner's safe was oper.ed anG
contents charred a little, but all
right"
Notwithstanding the opening Of
the bank vault, wing notes not
burned and unpaid-the Bismarck
Tribune will rebuild and do business
at the old stand"
Fire Graphically Described
A graphic description Of the fire
was given in the paper, reprinted
from the Daily Tribune of Tuesday
Augu-.. 9. It beg IN. less thar
three hours last night whirlwind
of flames RACED to the o-ound the
handsomest business portion Of the
city of Bismarck. In an hour from
the discovery of the flames, i'm
mense brick buildings melted ava,
like chaff before the wind, and The
crash Of falling walls added to the
grandeur of destruction wrought BY
the spreading, leaping and rolling
flames, whose red tongues shot higf
into the heavens and Illuminated thu
whole city as might he sun at noon
"By midnight or sh ,rtly before
the conflagration ha ! ceased. except
for the gradually wasting ruins o.
the Quilted structures, which blazeG