Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-10-21

Will be enrolled in our annals against
October 10TH 1857, and make it ever mourn
I fully memorable
About half past three o'clock yesterday
morning fire broke out in the bushes,
block 100 and III South Water St, thenc,
spreading to right and left and extending
across the alley.to the Lake ST. front until /.
stores Of the first class, and 5 stories high
and filled from cellar to roof with valuabl,
wares and merchandise, were laid in smonl
ding heaps
Worse. than all, fearful loss Of human
life was involved The number who parish
ed can be known only BY a lapse OF time
sufficient to Indicate the missing. or by clear
ing the scene of the catastrophe. Up to
dark last evening bodies had been recov
ered and more were known 10 be in the
| ruins
ORIGIN d SKETCH OF THE fiRF.
II is not distinctly known how. nor i it
definitely stated where the fire originated
The most careful inquiry and summing up
Of the best evidence IN possession up to the
hour oil going 10 press, tends To the convic-
tion that the fire lifts veil which shrouds
the life Of too many of our clerks and EN-
ployees who find their only home and their
only social life IN bachelor apartments in the
| upper stories of business blocks
IL is III sad, but too painfully strong cvi
dence that the fire, which originated in the
| hive story building Nos log IL Ill : Water
st, was caused by carclessness or drunk en-
rccklessness of the partlcip pants in irunken
| debauch Of clerks and the abandoned f.
males they had made their companions and
associates in a sabbath night revc Early
| after the siarm was given, those first on
| the ground sew females in state Of desha
bile, and some Of them, with other occu-
pants OF the upper stories, well nigh in !.
state of nudity. making thcr escape from th
building 1T should be added that the same
| phenomena were witnessed IN the Lake ct.
blocks
Nos. IO9 d III South Water st. were oc-
cupied on the main floor by the extensive
hardware establishment Of Msssrs Corrnick
| Cross d Co.
A. D. Ellsworth Il Co. had the erca of
| both floors Of the ID story filled with ready
made clothing. The upper part was used
for lodging Rooms by several parties
Pitkin a Bro hadin the store $4,000 in
cash, notes, and securities, all DESTROYED.
Ellsworth d Co. lost 10000 in readn4ade
clothing
Insured $4,000
The value "ftxtures in rooms of lolrers
is estimated at 1900 to $1,000. The bull
| ding, owned by j. H. Dunham cost ST. 900
Insured sl0on0
Next wet the flames attacked the store
of Lewis * Page, dealers in Paints. Oils. d..
| which was swept through its four stories
with irightful rapiditv.
| Lewis & Page estimate their stock at $50
| 600
Insured for 100000 The huldiug was
owned 10y DR.. u. ;. Smith Of Waukegan-
Valued at S6,ooo-fully insured.
No. 10, next west. was L. Hampstead.
Wholesale grocer The building and stock
We're very effectually destroyed. Loss $50.
ooo--insurance .l5,ooo. The books aud
papers We're got out III good order The
building was owned by Dr. L. Maxwell of
| this city, and is valued at $4,000, said to be
insured
The rrogress of the flames in this ,lirec-
ton was checked at No. 10 above.
| Eastward from the orltin Of The fire No.
lo1, occupied by Clark Il Daicr wholesale
| grocers, was destroyed with contents their
crock was valued at SO .eo0-insurcd for
s3o,ooo. building owned by Dr. Douglas.
of Quney-insured for $4,000.
! No. los next cast vacant, was pretty
| 'ii'l'HEhiN Sutt'A-
The store was lately occupied hy Eggle-
ston Rockwell, wholesal, grocer.
| IIonore 4 Co No lo3, drur.ests--their
stock was much injured by r,n oval and by
water-loss - 900 The building wa iniu-
red about 81 BOO
Jewett, Gates Il johnson, c!othiers. and
Others suffered more or less by removal and
by thieves.
LAKE STREET
The fire department and citizens on the
ground fought streruously against the pro
grcss of the flames. but they made their
way through windows whose iron shutters
were Inadvertently left open, to the splen
did five story marble block of T. Il W.
Wright, through the premises OF J B. shay
Nos. IA and ll6, Lake st.
Mr.. Shays magnificent establishments
which eontcded for the palm of the Stew
arts of the city, was filled with his rich
stock of dry goods, through which the
flames made their way as if reyelinr in
devastation. Little or nothing was saved in
proportion to the loss.
Mr.. Shay estimates his stock at Sl25,ooo,
which is less than half covered by insurance
to the amount of S45, 600
The building was owned by Edward
Wright.
In the 2d-story over Mr.. Shay's were the
wholesale msllinery wareroons of Asher,
| lletch & Co. Their loss is estimated at
$4,000.
The fire from Mr. Shay's extended to No.
| IL the extensive bookstore and publishing
| house of d. Is. Oook d Co, occupying a
share Of the same uniform block with the
| preceding.
The fire commenced in the 9TH story from
the roof, gave warning sufficient for the re-
moval Of a share of Mr. Cooks valuable
stock in his salesroom, and many costly
books and costly articles of stationery were
| removed Our readers, the admirers of ex-
| qui>ite paintings valued ar s. 300, exposed
IN one of the show windows. will be glad
to learn that the Belle was safely removed
to the fremont House
Messrs. Cooke 4 Co. occupied the first.
third and fifth stories
| On the fourth floor was the Rindery of
Messrs. VIM Stacy, .r., 4 Co, whose loss Of
stock. tools. &c, was total, amounting to
| $4,000. wholly uninsured. On the second
floor Nathanel Goods pianoforte ware
room contained about twenty pianos and
two church organs, the former belonging to
himself and X. g. Greene, the latter, with
two pianos, to Erben, of New York. The
loss here was total, Mr. Goold loses 81 300.
Mr.. Greene about the same, Mr.. Erben
$4,000, all Incurred as far as We could
learn.
| In the rear of the second floor were the
rooms of the Chicago Musical Union, loss
about $500.
| The building was owned by Walter
Wright, and costs $4,000.
Tue CATASTROPHE AT No. llO.
The store No. llo was occupied by the
Messrs Barnum as an extensive variety
store.
1t was thought advisable to clear the
store, and a large number of men, firemen
and others We're aiding in the removal of
the goods.
Suddenly fearful crash announced a
new phase ofthe calamity. The heavy and
towering wall of the adjoining store had
fallen outward upon the roof Of Barnum's