Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-06-05
Ths Great Fire.

Through the BU1LBT1H e1trS of
last week, and the very full and con-
plete accounts in the Dubuque papers
the majority of our readers are prob
ably already in possession of the par
ticulars of the disastrous conflagra-
ton which laid waste the business
portion of our city two weeks since,
in which were involved the BULLET
IN Office and contents. This will rem
der unnecessary from as at this late
period any elaborate or circumstan-
tial narrative Of the event, though we
propose in this article to go over
some of the prominent incidents Of
the calamity for the information of
the readers of the BULLETIN at dis
lance.
The fire, which was the most de-
structive i'll point of value of the prop
erty burned, that ever occurred in the
history of Iowa, commenced at two
o'clock of Monday morning, May 25,
in frame building on Chatham ST.,
south of and adjoining the Burr Block
owned by N. Burr, and occupied by
Mrs. NJ. E. Brown as millinery
store and residence. Mr.. Holt and
family also had rooms in the second
These parties were aroused from
slumbcr by the night Waterman, and
before they had time to dress, the
fire had communicated to the out
side stairs of the building thus cutting
off egress. In this dilema Mr. Holt
siezed a mattress and threw it to the
ground, then tossing the baby on it,
his wife and lady visitor, Miss Gan
non, following, and finally himself.
Miss Cannon was slightly injured by
the leap but has recovered The fire
swept south ward towards Main
Street with great rapidity, the old
dry frame buildings in its path in
this direction going down before the
the terrible blast like straw. The
firemen were early On the ground and
the hand engine got to working with
out delay; but withoutany apprcciablc
effect. The flames soon commune
Gated with the Burr block through
the windows in the third story above
the building in which they originat-
ed, and soon that fine structure, in
GLIDING the stores of Levi Stroll, dry
goods, w. J. Cummings, groceries,
c. X. Wallace, drugs, and J. w.
Johnston, groceries, and the St,
James Hotel, was the centre of sea
I.of fire.
Y A new steam FIRE engine purchA-
set by the city some time since Of
the Clapp and, Jones Manufacturing
Co of Hudson n. Y. had arrived u
day or two previous, and with most
of its attachments packed in boxes,
was awaiting the coming of the
general agent, for trial and accept
ance by the city. When the fire be-
gan to assume formidable proper
tons it occurred to our competent
engineer and machinist Dick Gurn-
sey that this machine vas not fulfil
ling its destiny, lying idle in the en-
CINE house. So with the assistance
of some of the crowd he took it to
the river in the rear ofthe Burr block,
filled its boiler by means of a garden
pump, lighted the fire, attached the
hose, and ran the steamer to her ut
most capacity during the remainder
of the night, doing most efficient SER
vice. When it is known that the ell
CINE had neither steam or water
guages attached, and was operated by
Mr.. Gunsey entirely without means
to indicate the pressure or state of
the water in the boiler and at immi-
nent risk of his life, the hcroism of
the act will be realized.
The new steamer under these UNI