The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-07-25

~hvee sAiIs and av~ Dwellings Dsrned
slMoeo worth Of Property Destroyed!
rYrom the - Louis in,elllrenrer. ed


Between six and seven o'clock yesterday
evening, fire broke out in Colston, Keep 4
Co.'S planning mill, On Second street, between
Monroe and jefferson street, and almost in
an in slant the whole bnildingowas wrapped
in flames. The fire quickly communicated
to the dwelling Of Mr. Charles NARROW ON
Jefferson street, between Main and Second,
and from thence Ia Marlow's bedstead and
furniture mandatory an immense five story
building corner Of Second and Monroc-sts.
All three Of these building, were quickly
destroyed, and the wind which had before
been blowing from the West, suddenly
changed to the opposite direction, beating
the flames directly against Mr.. John Broth
crton'- immense saw mill, which in les than
a half hour Wa reduced To ruins.
Several small dwellings surrounding the
mills were consumed hut the tenants got
, out and saved most Of their effects. A large
warehouse adjoining Marlom's factory, and
stored full OF furniture, was also destroyed,
with its contents. Also, several large piles
! ri lumber and timber, belonging 60 the diff
! fercnt mills.
! The buildings which We're burnt, with
! their surrounding lumber yards, covered m
! area &c nearly two squares, and this space
| during the time Of the contlagration was q
| pei feet sea Of flame, whose pillows rolled and
! hcayed like the waves Of the ocean in storm
Il was a sublime but terrible sight, and bid
fair for time TO prove ~ terrible n II
seemed.
The surrounding. neighhorhood for some
distance Is covered with frame houses, work
shops, and lumber yards, and these filled ny
the space between the fire and a region 81
the city thicaly built up with large and
handsome dwellings. and immediately in tho
direction toward which the wind set strong
Is. No water was to be had. and all that
could he done was 10 look on quietly and see
building after building become prey to the
flames. Fortunately, before they spread
beyond the two blocks first mentioned, the
wind lullcd 10 dead calm, and the flames
subsidized after consuming the buildings
which were already involved. The individ-
ual losses We were unable to learn, but the
amount named at the head Of this report
will probably fall short of the aggregate
amount
about SG0,Uo0, and that he was insured for
$1,000 only. This makes the fourth time
his establishment has been burned down,
and neither time did the fire originate in hls
building. Brotherton's mill was one Of the
largest and mos, complete in the city, aud
the loss must have been very heavy. We
could not learn whether he was insured or
MT. The planning mill, where the fire origi-
mated was not very extensive, working only
some twenty hand. The cause &c the fire
j. not ascertaned, hut il was, probably, the
work Of nm inccndiary At th. time IL broke
out the workmen were all at supper. We
convcrscd with one of them. who stated that
there was a dissatisfaction among them,
and that threats III revenge had been
uttered. He gave IL n his opinion that
some If them had set the mill on fire. We
will probably be able 10 give further particu-
lars tomorrow.