Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-06-27
LATEB PARTICULARS.

denly than the fire which destroyed
SO many valuable lives, wasted prop
erty by millions, arrested many va
ried forms of industry, and spread
not only desolation but terror and
CONSERVATION all around. Public
buildings, palaces of commerce, tenn
pies Of religion, banks, palatial resi-
dences, newspaper and telegraph Of
fees, school houses-almost every
thing of which the citizens of st.
Johns felt proud-were all in q few
hours
LAID IN RUINS.
The loss of our hotels, churches,
school houses, banks, ETC., was made
a thousand times more painful by the
lamentable destruction of life ac-
companying it.
Fire was discovered in the building
owned by Mr.. Fairweather in tho
south part of York's Point Slip, next
to McLoughlin's boiler shop. To the
latter building the flames had spread
before the firemen had reached the
scene. Engines arrived and did
their best to stop the flames but all in
vain. Nothing could be done. The
flames then spread to various build
ings on Havoc wharf, which were al
so quickly consumed and the fire
broke out
WITH A ROAR
into Smith street, carrying everything
before it. From there the flames
spread into Drury Lane and Mill
street, following that into Dock street,
taking both sides of Erie. This,
however, with the rear of the Lon
don House and adjacent buildings
had been attacked when it was seen
that the first fiLe would inevitably
sweep along the dock or Mill street.
Aid came from Portland in the
shape of engines and firemen. The
tinder-boxes on fire, aided by the
wind, proved combination too
much for the gallant workers, and al
most in despair they saw the flames
advance upon them, not slowly, but
with a
RAPlDITY THAT APPALLED,
the stoutest hearts. The Carleton en-
gine came in the ferry boat and lent
its aid. One engine had been sta
toned al the corner Of Mill and
Union streets, while men with branch
es were down on Union street. OPP
posite Drury Lane the buildings
were mass of flames. At the end
of Smith street and Drury Lane, and
while the workers were vainly en-
deavoring to have the fire end there,
a momentary gale took the flames
ACROSS UNION STREET
to the opposite houses and then they
receded; but their touch had been
fatal. In less than five minutes the
buildings were doomed to destruc-
ton. Both sides of the street were
soon in the grasp Of the deyouring
element and men were obliged to
drop their branch pipes and run up
street, after which they dragged the
hose after them. Another lot of men
were working at the foot Of Union
street and by placing boards in front
OF their faces managed to battle with
the flames until their
CLOTHING BECAME sINGED.
Proceeding along Sixth street in a
oOutltCIly ulICCtLou thC OWN
reached Nelson street and then Rob-
ertson's place, then extended to Rob-
ertson's wharf, then up South wharf.
As it gained Nelson street on the
south it met flames coming up that
street and the combination made 8
terrific heat that could not be borne.
From the strong wind from the south
west it did not take long for the en-
tire wharf to be in q blaze. Half a
dozen wood boats were at the head of
Market Slip and the head Of the
wharves about the same number Of
schooners. Before the fire assumed
formidable shape on South wharf
the men on the vessels began to pour
PALS OF WATER
on the decks. The water was low
just then and something like this was
necessary to extinguish the sparks that
were continually showcred down up.
on them. Those at the head of the
Slip were in quarter Of an hour OF
fire in SO many places that it was i'm
possible for each outbreak to receiv,
attention. Before the vessels hat
been well on fire the flames passe.
above their masts, that soon offered
stepping stone to the shops on Soutl
wharf. Not one Of these west O
IA Al, 80 ~ - - =