The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-03-02
SATURDAYS SORROW.
i,ealy Fory Thousand DoIIas Dis
appars in Flame and Smoke.
Rush's FIoI Mill, Root L. Shepherds
Saw Mill and Adjoining Build
ings Fall a Prey to the
Flames.
A Sl4, 900 Bill for firewood Which
he Insurance Companies will
Have to Sele.
THE ALARM.

the fac, that the 26.h day OF February,
1876, is the date upon which the fire iiend
left his card up in tha. district, his call
being marked by one little and not alto
gether uninteresting circumstsnce-tbe
swallowing up, in fire and smoke, loi
forty thousand dollars worth OF proper
". About ten minutes 10 nine o'clock
last night, the men at work
in Mr.. II. ID. Rush's extensive
Touring mill, on the North E-planada, be-
tween Kiowa and Dacotah streets, were
startled by the appearance OF long bright
sheet OF fame, which shot up from the Gel
lar Of the building, through the elevator,
the fire communicating to every portion OF
the large building almost in an instant,
and most efiectualiy preventing the saving
of anything in il. So short time elapsed
between the first alarm and the envelOp-
ment Of the structure in a sheet OF flame,
that the workmen barely escaped with their
lives, giving them no opportunity whatey-
er to carry anything out. The reflection Of
the confagratiOn attracted great crowds
from every part of the city, while the fire
bells rang out the wild alarm, summoning
the iiremen to the scene OF the disaster.
Steamer No. > was stationed At the cor
ner Of Third and Dacotah streets, and sue
ceeded in forcing water through the hose in
an almost incredibly short space OF time.
BY THIS TIaE,
however, the flames, famed by the strong
wind which blew from the south, made the
immediate vicinity of the mill 50 hot that
a near approach was an impossibility, and
owing to the close proximity OF the flour
ing mill, Root d Shepherds saw mill and
the offices of these two buildings, the fire.
men could not get close enough 10 do any
good Meanwhile, the Touring mill wa'
rapidly disappearing, and the saw mill wa:
| completely enveloped; the small structure,
used as an office, to the west OF the latter,
WAS IN FLANEs,
while perfect cloud of fiery cinders wa
carried by the breeze, which, by this time
had deepened into a gale, TO th'
ice house of Benjamin Riyers, situated
on the north side ot 10 cotah street, 10y the
tracks of the Marrow Gauge and Missouri
Pacific railroads, and which WIS soon In ;
| blaze All the time, during the progress o
the fire, vast clouds Of cinders had heer
| dropping upon the roofs and IN the yard
| of the long row Of dwellings on the eas
side of the pianade, just north OF Dacotai
| street, and when the ice house began e
burn the deepest CONSERVATION prevailed
| Previous to that time the owners of th'
property had been enabled to successful,
quench the cinders and pieces Of burnin,
boards which fell in perfect shower II
| that vicinity, but when the ice house wa
| fairly ablaze, and the red fiery tongues o
fame swept toward the apparently doomed
| block, men lost heart and seemed TO b
utterly discouraged.
| AT THIS JUNCTUEE
the firemen, aided by several citizens,
| brought the hose 10 play upon the burning
building, and, step by steP, and inch by
| inch, the flames were forced to retreat, un-
| til they were subdued sufficiently TO place
| the recently endangered dwellings out o.
harms way. All OF the articles Of furni
ture in the residences in that row had beel
| previously removed to places OF safety, and
with the exception of what was stolen, th
! dana ge and loss was comparatively small
! Several fences were torn down, which ca
be replaced at small cost. The lce-hous
| was reduced 10 a-uSH.
N THE MEANTIME,
the saw mill and several piles OF lumbe
which had not been entirely consumed
still continued to burn, and the efforts G
the firemen were then directed to them, 4
also 10 the small structure 10 the south c
the smouidering remains OF the flourin
mill. which also stood partially uncon
sumed, and endangering long IRAN
building Just south of that After 4
hours hard work the flames were efiec
ually quenched and everybody retired
good order.
THE Loss
will aggregate nearly $4,000, the insul
ance being but $4,000. Mr.. Rush Is,
course, the heaviest loser, and the only OF
having any part of his property covered b
!, insurance. The loss on the saw mill I
Messrs. Root & Shepherd will probably |
S4.5O0, while Mr.. Rivers loss may prob;
bly, be $500.
Mr.. Rush's insurance is in the followin
companies: On the mill building-Sl,O o,
in the Citizens Fire Insurance Company
Mo-, st. Louis. A. A. Mosher, agent; Am
zon Fire, Cincinnati, 81 900, and $1,000
the St. Louis Fire, St. Louis, \. \. Mosh'
agent for both.
Boiler and engine-Sl, ,OC0 in the Cit
E zens, St Louis, A. A. Mosher, agent.
Machinery-Sl, 900 in the citizens, ;
Louis, A. 4 Mosher, agent; 81 800 in Il
E Peoples, Newark, n. J., G. ID. Farr, agent
t 81, 900 in the Westchester, New York, (
I ID. Farr, sgent; $500 in the Fire ASS
citation, Philadelphia, Farr, agent; 81 81
in the St. Louis Fire, 4. A. Mosher. aseu
Mill proper-S3, 900 in the New Orlear
81 Association, A. A. Mosher, agent.
THE FIGURING MILL
l property was a very valuable one, and W,
purchased by Mr. Rush of W.S. Plumme
on the l-t of April, 1874, for $4,000, th
figure being about half what the proper
was worth, according 10 Mr.. Piummers
innate. The mill could not now be bu
!, for SIS 00o, and taking into considerati'
a the -four and grain which was consum
+ in the building, which was valued
: about $4,000, Mr.. Rush's loss, inc
pendent of the insurance, will be at Il
= least $4,000. He had in his employ tive
J" ty-ive men, all of whom are thrown out
l. work.. The mill was being run night q
o dsy in order to 6ll government contra
|" which Mr.. Rush had upon his hands, and I
,f amount of -four turned out was about nj
r car loads per week. Taking 1t all In a
Il the loss falls most heavy upon employ
J. and employees. The reason why Mr.. Ru
e did not have more insurance upon his pr
Ne erty than he had, was because OF the hi
rate charged-about s per cent. Extra
dinary precautions were taken to prevt
fires. and the origin of this one is, and PR
u ably always will remain, a mystery. 1
r building burned as rapidly as though CO
posed of tinder, saturated with coal oil, a
e its rapid destruction may, in some degr
d be attributed to the vast amount OF I
! Aour which was stored within the struct'
l. nj the time. The books and the safe "
Z. saved, but nothing else.
MEsRs. ROOT: a SHEPHERD
employed about ten hands. Their los
J.. complete, as there was not cent oil In
=. rance upon either the building or It's C
tents. A large quantity of lumber VII
s was piled up in the yard was partially
7 stroyed.
r. Mr.. Rivers loss may probably re,
!" $500, although it is possible it may
p reach that amount
THE SECOND ALARM.
- The alarm which sounded At 80
. morning, was caused by the burning OF
- co.ored Baptist church on Spruce, be'w
a SIKH and Seventh streets. The fire was
vWk of an incendiary, and incurs los
- TIE congregation of aboat $50. = -
ur
A Suggestion to the Nervous.
Eobust uueoule vho have Al their lives, eaten,