Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-12-02
Serious ConfIagration.

Yesterday our citizens were startled by the
alarm of fire ana the cry that j. L. Dickip-
sons planeing mill was burning. Hundreds
of persons haste. i to the scene of the dis.
aster and found the alarm and cry only too
true.
The fire originated in a driving room.
over the engine. As it was heated by steam
1t Is hard TO conjecture how combustion be.
gan. As soon as it was discovered the work
men began to fight it with pals of cold wa
ter, ana were so sauguine that they could
eNtinguish it that they desisted from max
ing any alarm. For some ten or fifteen min.
utes they fought the flames thus before they
found that they were getting beyond their
control. The mill whistle was then sopnd.
ed, and Rouse & Deans factory bells ranr
out the alarm. As the alarm sounded tho mon
oi the vicinity Joined the workmen, who be-
gan to save such property as was movabIe
As citizens arrived they ioined tho forco
and soon the building was as thronced rs ,
ui'e OF bees, with men lo..uing their aid to
save ;heir neighbor's property. While this
was going on the flames kept quietIv Gain
ing ground. For thirty minutes after The
alarm was given, had the steamer ] K.
UraFes been there with good stream of VI
ter the mill might have been saved To
the excited populace present. it seemed .
though the engines would never arrive ..
though the energetic fireman came prn,r..-
y 20 'he rescue The steamer was dela,sI.
owing to the absence of horses. When So.
dId arrive her aid was of little effect. as raa
rubber no was weak that il couId stand
out little pressure. Although her enginee,
used every Notwithstanding with only
nan the steam necesSary-in the first twen-
|! minutes Tour sections were burst, and how
many more during her service we are unable
TO say. Owing to this and the DELAY. on the
part OF the hand-cngines, the fire cot such
headway that it was soon discovered that il
was all the fire department. could do 10 pre-
vent an extension Of the confederation he
yohd the mill. This they succeeded in do
ing, to their credit, for the frame cabinet
factory Of lamlin x Wagner Joined the mill
on the north. As it was, however, the dam
age to Messrs Hamlin q. WAGNER was as
great as if their factory had burned. Ii was
tuii OF goods IN all stages of completion, to-
sether with valuable lumber adapted to their
iabricatIons. This stock, with tools and ma
chinery, was carried out and scattered all
over the immediate vicinity for safety.
Had this confagration taken place in the
night the scene would have been grand be-
yond description, especially the burning of
the southern building which looked like
mammoth pyrotechuical work gotten up
with great skill for effect and display. 1t
was a house built up from sill to roof with
flames. The loss by this disaster will not
be less than from $I2 900 to $4,000, to saw
nothing Of the loss by the interruption of
business Not less than $4,000 will cover
Mr.. DIckinson's loss. 1t is true, much of his
small machinery was removed, but his three
large planers, together with other heavy ma
chinery and his engines, viii be so damaged
as to be worthless. Mr.. Dickinson was IS
years in building up his trade The only
portion Of his establishment uuinjured, was
the stone store-room and fitting shop. across
the way. On this there was a small insur-
auce.
H"mIin K Wagner's loss viii probably be
not less than $4,000, exclusive of the loss
by the arrangement Of business
There was no insurance on the property
destroyed, the rates asked by the insurance
companies being so high as to make it out
of the questica.
BY this fire over one hundred persons have
been thrown out Of empIoyment and, it is
safe to say, at least FIVE hundred dependents
have been likewise injured. AT this season
of the year, this IS not the least painful part
Of the fire disaster
All the looscrs have the heaI tfelt sympa-
thy OF this community; and the only cheer
ful thing connected with it is Mr.. j. l..
Dickinson's brave heart; as, we understand,
before the last timber fell, he declared he
would have better mill ready for the
spring trade.-Dub,tq1e Times, Nor. Is.