The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-04
HEMP AND WHISKY.
A Ninety-ThOusand Dollar Fire
this Morning.
A BOOk-keeper Narrowly Escapes
with His Life.

this morning called the engines to fire
in the hemp and whisky establishment
OF Duckworth, Spence & Co., No. AZ
West Second street. By the time the
engines had arrived the flames, which
originated in the cellar. had reached
nearly to the fifth story of the building,
and the whole establishment was envel.
oped in flames. The engines were al
once put in position and the fight began.
Another alarm was soon turned in, an
more engines responded, and in a few
moments half a dozen streams were
playing on the fire from the front, and as
mary were being poured in on the rear.
I Ire firemen worked bravely. Chief
Megrle and his Assistants were on the
Eground at the earliest moment and di-
recting the attack from every possible
quarter. A large detachment of police
were present to keep order, and sue
oeeded in forcing the immense crowd
pack and keeping them away from the
burning building.
The fire when first discovered was in
the basement and first floor at the rear,
and it is thought originated in some
| hemp which was piled there. Before an
alarm could be turned in the blaze, fed
oy the whisky and hemp with which the
building was stored, was mounting from
one floor to another and enveloping
everything in flames.
One of the proprietors and the book
keeper were in the Office at the time.
The book-keeper, Mr.. Ii. P. Kennedy,
Immediately set about saving the books
and closing the safe, but so rapidly did
the flames spread that he was consider
ably scorched and his hair and whiskers
burned before he had completed his task
and managed to escape.
The flames soon spread to every part
Of the building, and In spite Of every ex-
erti6n OF the tiremen, completely gutted
the entire establishment. Every floor
was filed completely with whisky, dis
tillery apparatus and hemp, and the
flames licked up fiercely everything
they reached. Nothing in the building
escaped, and the loss will be almost to-
al.
The first floor, where the fire origina-
ted, WAS filed in front with whisky in
barrels, and in the rear was piled with
nemp from the floor to the ceiling. There
were some seventy barrels of whisky on
this floor, and the hemp in the rear occu-
pied'more than half the floor, and was
closely packed. On the second floor was
whisky in barrels, the whole floor being
occupied, with not an inch OF space to
spare.
The Sd floor was used as the rectifying
department, and on it was some valua-
BILE machinery and a large amount OF
whisky in tubs, with also some chemi-
Gals and other valuabIes.
The fourth floor was occupied by rec
tifying, tubs filled with whisky, as was
also the fifth. The whole of the stock of
whisky was owned by the firm, Duck
worth, Spence & Co., and nearly all the
hemp also.
Some of the hemp had, however, just
been received on commission.
The loss to this firm will be very
heavy. They estimate it, as near as it is
possible to judge, at from $4,000 to $7O,-
900.
The insurance is very light, and c3uld
not be definitely ascertaned. Much OF
the stock Lal been very recently re.
ceived, and was uninsured.
On aconsiderable part OF fthe remainder
the insurance had recently run out and
had not been renewed. The opinion OF
those interested was that the insurance
would not reach over $4,000, and the
only risk definitely known Of at present,
is one Of 50, 500 in the Miami Valley.
The whole Of the contents of the build
ing, the safe and it's contents excepted,
are undoubtedly loss.
In the adjoining building on the east,
No. 43, 10 the Meader Furniture Com
pany. This building is packed with fine
furniture, and the loss will probably
reach $4,000 to them. mostly from water.
The roof of the building was consider.
ably burned, and the upper floors were
necessarily flooded in checking the
fire in the part occupied by Duckworth,
Spence & Co.
The insurance OF the Meader Company
was altogether on their factory, and
their loss here will be the full extent OF
the damage.
The next east, No. Al, is the firm oil
Putnam, Hooker b Co., dealers in twinel
ami baggings. They are damaged about
81, ,0O0; fully insured.
On the west the firm of Pomeroy, Peck
over & Co., In No. Al, lost about $1,000 by
damage to their stove patterns. They
are fully insured.
The building is owned by Mr.. D. 81.
Taylor, or the "TayIor estate" and ex-
tends from The alley, No. Al, to the street
beyond. The loss will probably reach
$5, 600 on the building.
The one store occupied by Duckworth,
Spence & Co. was insured In the London
Mutual for $4,000, and the Grant for