Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-07-04
HEAVY Loss By FIRE
Barnard. Adams 4 Co.. Drug Store
Burnodi

HEAVY Loss BY FIRE.
Barnard. Adams 4 Co.. Drug Store
Burnsdi
LOSS NEARLY 100000,
The immense drug store Of BARNARD.
ADAMS d Co.. At the Northeast corner Of
second street and W shington Avenue, was
destroyed by fire about O'Clock yes erda,
MOI ming. Once started, the fire was fed and
increased by the combustible substances
with which the house abounded. until the
flames soon over ran every part Of it. We
never saw building Of its enormous sixe %
soon reduced TO heap Of ruinA The inten
atty Of the heat, too, Was wonderful. The
spectators, Of whom there were thousands
Un the ground were driven ~ Q distance
n metimes Of two squares from the burning
building.
From the great height Of the house, the
surrounding buildings were in imminent
danger Of destru, Oh. Only the early fall
lag Of the wal saved the large Drug House
Of BACON, HYDE l. Co.. which st. cd opposite
on the sou beast corner OF Second street
and Washington avenue, and the Drug
,tDre of MATHEWS, LEvERlNa l. Co., in rear
Of it and fronting on Washington avenue
and separated y narrow alley. The lat
ter building was saved--not without great
difficulty. A heavy metallic cornice with
wooden illinv took fire and burned obsti-
nately for nearly half an hour
With but one exception, the engines in
operation were unable to throw water sto owe
the root, and all attempts TO put out the
flames by that means were fruitless
At length. Capt CouzNNs, Inspector Of
Fires and Buildings. with corps Of hardy
assist ,nts, mounted to the roof, cut away
the cornice with hatchets and axes, viii h
was work Of no little difficulty, and BY
drawing up hose from the alley below, soon
deluged the roof with water
But one other building besides BARNARD,
ADAMS 4 Co.'S. was wholly destroyed, and
that was small one on the avenue, occu.
pied as brass foundry.
The fire, we understand, originated in the
third or fourth story, where large quantity
Of "ow.deldoc" or compound soap liniment
was in process Of preparation. During the
preparation the kettle containing the lini-
ment bursted and the contents, which ere
fire was RAPIDLY communicated TO the vari-
that story. The peculiar construction OF the
building. each story Of which has gallery.
with large quadrangular opening in the
centre and communicating with each other
by spacious stairways. contributed to facil :
| tate the progress OF the fire which spread
with such extraordinary rapidity that the
entire contents Of the building we've con-
sumed, and the walls had fallen in q little
| 81 a. c.
was first discovered.
The building. which was one Of the most
imposing commercial structures in the city,
was owned by BARNARD, ADAMS 4 Co, and
cost, together with the fixtures, $4,000
The stock il contained was valued at $780,.
OOO. Upon the building and fixtures there
was an insurance to the amount Of $40 OOO
and upon the stock to the amount of $3.50,
100
The books and papers of value belonging
to the concern were enclosed in = vault
built expressly for Their preservation, and
were found. yesterday afternoon, after the
fire had been sufficiently subdued to ADM,
Of their extrication, to have been unframed
,-.Hssoari Rep. June 60
DEPLosABLE ArrAlR-l ouxs LADY Drown
Ed IN A PMvY VAulr.-Thursday night sew
eral persons kept wake with the remains
Of Mrs. Henderson. whose death at her Ia,
residence on Hopkins street, from swallow
ing. oxalic acid, We have mentioned. About
II o'clock two young ladies entered the pri
Wy, when the floor gave Way and one O
them. Margaret Leggctt. fell through. tn,
vault Is walled up round like a well, i.
thirty five feet deep and contained fifteer
feet Of water. The lady who escaped gave
the alarm instantly. The poor girl wa
called again and again, but n" Response
came up from the awful vault-Lights wer.
lowered, but they were put out long bforet
they reached the water, by the carbonis
acid gus, which had accumulated in thu
place. Water was thrown down to disturb
this, and . windlass was brought to the
spot and rugged, aud long poles with hooks
procured. When the gas was driven out Of
the vault man went down to the surface
Of the water, and after repeated attempt.
SUI, c .eded with pole and hook in bringing
the body to the surface and attaching rope
to it, when it was drawn up. This was be.
tween the hours Of and O'Clock yester.
day morning. the poor girl having been in
the abyss Of death for more than four hours.
The victim Of this woeful occurrence was a
member Of the Presbyterian Church, and
was very much e.teemed.-C;s. Cow.
|
SUICIDE OF A You've AND BEAUTIFUL WIFE
"A German woman, named Mrs. HANDLE
committed suicide, at her residence on Four.
teenth street, between Pleasant and Race
yesterday evening. The circumstances con
nected with it are of the most distressing
nature. She was young. being aged only
nineteen, but recently married, and val
possessed Of rare personal beauty. Some
two years ago shc became acquainted with
young German named Hoffman, and the
warmcst attachment soon grew up between
them. He proposed marriage, which she
accepted with al her heart But the "a
rents Of the girl took a dislike to her be-
troshed, and not only refused TO sanction
but positively forbid the union. All At
Temps At reeonciliation proved fruitlssa -
Hoffman lslt her in despair and returned 10
Euronc