The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-03
LOSSES ABOUT se76, 900
INSURANCE see, 900
GREENcAsTLE YVES WITH CHICAGO

GREENCASTLE YVES WITH CHICAGO.
FIFTY-Two HOUSES coNsUMED-wHATA SOU
WESTERLY DID-A CITY WITHOUT FIRE
cIsTERN OR EVEN FIRE BUCKET-THE Sc
oUEL-IT Is TOLD BY SENTINEL REPORTERS
AS GIVEN BELow--LoSsEs AND INSURANCE
THE SCENE OF NIGHTS DOING.
The pleasant little village of Greencastle
met with a calamity night before last which
has never been eaualled in the history of
the State. AS already stated in yesterdays
the greater part OF the heart of the
town lies a mass of charred and smoking
ruins after having been visited by a fire
which, for the size of the place, worked a
greater proportionate damage than any
similar conhagration that has occurred in
Indiana for years. The fire broke out in
Kimball's furniture factory at 1880 on
Thursday night, and is generally believed TO
have been the work of an incendiary, as it
started in some lumber in the
factory yard, and Mr.. Kimball some time
before had made thorough examination of
the place and found everything apparently
secure. Once started everything seemed to
conspire against the unfortunate town.
There was no public clstern, save a small
affair in the court house yard; the streams
were too far off to be available.
were almost empty on account of the con-
tinued drought, which had made everything
combustlble as dry as finder. Worse than
all, the wind was blowing gale at the rate
of % miles an hour, and there was not a
single engine or anything of the kind in the
city to combat the advancing flames. AS
the fire was directly on that part of the city
from which the wind came, it can we'll be
imagined what
NIGHT OF TERROR
it was to the unfortunate inhabitants. In an
incredible short space of time the fire was
driven from Kimballs factory directly in
the heart of the town, setting fire to every
thing as it went. With good engine and a
supply of water the chances for stopping the
spread of the flames would have been at the
best doubtful, as it was, nothing remained to
be done except to endeavor to save the house
hold furniture and merchandise which lay
stored in the path of the fire, and let it take
its course. The air was filled with burning
sparks and cinders which wera driven be-
fore the wind in perfect torrent of Gre,
lighting the heavens tor miles around.
1t was utterly impossible to save ordinary
buildings, as The fire advanced toward the
thickly built portion of the town, and the
only hope was to save it from spreading at
the sides and to save detached buildings, so
the flames were only stopped when there
was nothing else in their pathway to be
burned up.
CALL FOR HELP.
At 11:30 kilograms were sent by Mayor
Allen, of Greencastle, to this city and Terre
Haute, imploring for engines, and both
cities at once sent steamer each and de-
tachment of fremen to aid the sufferers.
The Terre Haute engine No. was sent from
that place, starting at l:15 A. NJ, on a special
train furnished by the Vandalia road. By
being able to follow the passenger train and
meeting with no detention on the road, the
Terre HautentOts were able to come first to
the ground and rendered valuable aid in
saving the First National Bank building,
one OF the best in town.
THE INDIANAPOLIS RELIEF.
When the word came for aid to Chief Fire
Engineer Fitchie here, he at once set about
to get out the No. engine from the Vir-
ginia avenue quarters and sent it together
with the reel attached and No. 8
reel to the Vandalia freight depot.
A vexatious delay of half an hour ensued
here while waiting for the fiat cars upon
which to load the engine, reels and horses.
The cars came at last, the men being obliged
to shift them from wherever they could
find them, all over the yards, which caused
the detention. The train was made up at last,
the apparatus loaded on the cars, and the
expedition set out, Assistant Chief Whitsett
in charge, Conductor Neimier, who had
orders to run the train "wild," gave the sig
nal TO light out, and engine 81,
dalia line, darted off as if the engineer
was utterly regardless of everything save
getting to Greencastle as fast as his wheels
could turn.
THE BOLD FIREMEN,
as the caboose bounced along, wore a rather
solemn look, and the four journalists who
were in the crowd followed their example
and each seemed % be specializing upon his
CHARGES in case the cars jumped
the track. The last eight miles
were run in 10 minutes, and the "bull of the
woods" as the employees called the locomo-
tive, seemed all right still. 1t was
at least an hour, however, after the No. {
was unloaded before. any water could be
found for its use. The water for the Terre
Haute engine had already been exhausted
when the No. came up, and the Indiauapo-
lis brigade then commenced a search about
the ruins for water. The drive was not
without its dangers, as the walls of the
ruined building were falling at frequent
Intervals. What few cisterns were APP
proachable had no water in them, and the
wells were too deep for the suctions of the
engines to reach the water. AT
last the engine was taken to the
edge of town and lowered down a steep
grade to some water in a spring basin near
Golden's planning mill, which merely served
to put cut some of the still burning embers
up town.
SCENE OF DEsoLATIoN.-
At O'Clock A. NJ. the Sentinel representa-
tives arrived at the scene, the fire going
down and its spread had been checked
Half an hour before the lurid glare lit up the
surrounding skies so as to be visible for
fifteen miles around, now the kissing of the
flames had given place to the fall of weakened
walls as they toppled over at intervals.
Large quantities of coal had been stored in
the burnt district and this still continued to
burn for long time afterward. Where the
handsomest buildings of the city had stood
a few hours before there was now nothing TO
be seen but blackened walls and a chaos
of brick and debris lit up by the
TIL - -