The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-10-26
ruRRtDxn CoNFLAdRATroN m
So. TINS CITY Last NIGHT!
FIFTY THoUsAND DOLLARS
wo4TM Of rRoFHRTY DHs-

yr04Z;M'! OF PRoFERTY DEs'
Our young and thriving city sus
tanned serious loss, last evening, by
that fell destroyer, fire, which has &C
devastatingly swept oyer our coun
try this season.
Between six and half past siz
O'Clock, last night, fire was discov.
cred in tho rear end of w. q. Grimes
> Mammoth Carriage and Wagon
Factory, on Tho corner Of Market
And Third streets, in this city. II
tlwas discovered very soon after it be.
gan, but the most Of tho building be.
J ing Of wood, and tho weather OK.
trepely dry, the flames spread with
fearful rapidity, and before assistance
could be had, the fire was bursting
out in all directions of the immense
structure. The building covered
the greater portion OF two full lots,
each 49a by 1850 feet.
Mr.. Grimes had recently built one
!. side Of the main building, 100 feet in
length, Of brick, upon which side
were all Of his blacksmith FORCES,
about fifteen in number.
There can be hardly any question
but what the fire was the work Of
an incendiary, as tho hands had not
quilted the shop to exceed thirty
minutes, and it Was first discovered
i when dozen buckets of water would
have put it out, and upon the outside
of the building, between the main
building and q necessary which
stood right against the large shop.
From the shop the fire spread
North-eastward, consuming the frame
dwelling house Of Mrs, CIidena Rey-
nolds and the Ottumwa Turn WARREN
Hall. To the North it swept away
the barn, out house and fences At.
tached to the private residence of
James Hawlcy ST., also scorching
badly two small frame dwelling
! hoases of VIM. 2. Inskeep ESQ.,, and
IN which resided Robert Finley.
sand Chas. sax.
!, 70 the West it swept across Third
street, igniting the frame dwelling.
house Of g. A. Roemer, which was
partially consumed.
gr Had anything like . high wind
prevailed II would be impossible to
estimate what might have been its
Z extent, as 1t started in. = building
that Of itself made and immense Ere,
and right about It in close proximity
were buildings generally frame, and
livery stables that would have made
such condagrAtion as to endanger a
large portion fthe city.
Mr. Grimes estimates his loss as
follows; slo,Ooo on buildings and
$4,000 on lumber, wheels, axles,
spokes, wagon tongues, iron, wagons,
buggies, carriages, unfinished work,
took, & machinery &C., &c. Mr..
Grimes was annually turning off
saome 400 lumber wagons, besides a
large number Of buggies and car.
riages and while it seems as though
his estimate ofloss on material, work,
tools, TO-, seems very large, we know
, that they were immense in number
and quantity. indeed it would
astonish any one to look over his
establishment and see his tremen-
dous stock on hand, and the large
amount of finished and unfinished
work.
Mr.. Grimes was insured $1,000 on
buildings, 5000 on stock and $1,000
on tools in the following Companies !:
Imperial, London, $4,000; Pacific,
San Francisco, $500; Phoenix.
Hartford, $1,000; American Central,
st. Louis, $1,000; North Mo-, Of
Macon City, $1,000; North Amori.
can, New York, $1,000; Enterprise,
Philadelphia, 81 900; Great W estern,
Chicago, $1,000.
All Of this insurance is probably
good save that OF the North Ameri.
con, Now York.
Inc wood rarkmen in the shop. to
= large extent, Owned their own
tools, and they lost all, having no
Insurance.. Their names ano a.,
ted losses are as follows: Jasp.,
Fleer, $3.50; Thos. Eckles, $4,000
W. G. Campbell, $50; d. Berger
$25; Andrew OLSON, 800. These
losses fall heavily upon these men, a.
they are in the main poor and de
pendent upon their daily labor fol
support. Tue losses of the othe,
workmen were small. Mr.. Crime.
kept a little rise OF thirty men in con
slant employment in his shop VIII,
are now all thrown out of work.
Grimes is u man of indomitable en-
ergy, as he has abundantly show
since he has been among US by build
ing up in The short space of seve,
years in this city wagon man ufac
tory second to none in southern
Iowa. The number of his lumbe