Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-08-29


From the Bur. Telegraph, of the 25th inst.
DestrHc tive Fire at Muscatine!
Bennefs Mammoth Min oshes-50,-
600 doiiats ,corfh Of Property DIES.
troyed!!
MusCATINE, Aug. 23-5 NJ.
We stop the press 10 chronicle anosh.
er and heavy calamity which has befal-
len our devoted city. Bennet's great.
FIGURING Mill, bull, in ls49 and so, a,
cost of $4,000, and conceded to be
the most complete structure of the kind
in the Valley of the Mississippi, was
last nigh, utterly destroyed by fire. with
the surrounding buildings, 100 bills. of
flour, from 500 to 600 bushels of wheat,
1000 flour barrels, and all the fixtures,
tools, &C., belonging to that extensive
establishment. In addition to the Mill.
the warehouse and residence of Messrs.
Browning, aud half dozen stables on
the alley were consumed. Messrs.
Browning, we learn, saved all their fur
niiure and the goods in their warehouse.
Nothing bat provender was lost in the
stables. The warehouses Of Mr.. c..
Weed are partly burnt and much inju-
red. By dint of the unremi,ling exer-
tons of a few persons who had the man
illness to do something, the large Pork
muse below the Iowa Hoase, and three
adjoining buildings and the houses from
The allev to Second, on Chesna, street,
were saved. w
Everything was moved from these
buildings IN anticipation of their destruc-
ton. Had the wind been high. nothing
could have saved the entire block, and
perhaps all of Second street from Syca-
more to Pine. As i, was, a column of
burning fragments was thrown several
hundred feet into the air from the fire
confined in The walls of the mill, and
fell in the streets and on the roofs of
houses for several squares. Persons
were stationed on the roofs with water,
10 prevent ignition. A part of the walls
of the mill are down, the rest seem to
be lettering. Had The walls fallen ear.
lier, the destruction would doubtless have
been much greater. The heat and
flames were confined by the strong walls
10 great extent. The origin of The fire
is a mystery. Many suppose il to have
been the work of an incendiary. II was
first discovered in the second story. a
bout half past 2 o'clock, hu, had made
too great progress To be checked, or al
low any thing to be saved Mr.. Bennett
estimates his loss at S45, 1000, only sl5,.
600 of which he supposes to be cover
eG by insurance. The matter was en-
trusted some months ago to all agent in
St. Louis. . H
Other losses are al the lowest figure,
$4,000. This mill was Justly the pride
Of Musca.ine, and was an honor TO The
enierprising proprietor. II gave employ
ment and support to a number Of fami-
lies, and brought much business 10 our
city. It's loss is a public calamily-one
which every citizen will feel directly or
indirectly. The proprietor, by his enter
prise, liberality and public spirit, has
done more for the prosperity of Musca-
tine than any other man. This all will
concede; hence his looses are a public
misfortune in two-fod sense. We
sincerely hope this far famed mill will
be speedily rebuilt, and tina, our citizens
will give every encouragement 10 that
end. If we know any man whose encr-
gy, spirit and resources are superior to
such misfortune, and who is fitted TO
recover from it, by force of his own in
domitable character, that man is our le-
low citizen, Joseph Bennett. y
Massacre Of Amqric.n Mt uHn-