Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-07

Serious Co,,tfagratiOn.
THE OLD BLANCHARD MILL BURNED.

At about II o'clock Monday night a
fire broke out in the south end Of the old
Blanchard Custom FIGURING Mill in the
First ward, and before the fire depart
ment reached the ground for duty the
flames had made such rapid Roadway
that all efforts of the two steamers to
stay the fire were unavailing, and the
building soon succumbed to the devour-
ing element. Fortunately the mill was
not stocked very heavily at the time al.
though the stock was larger than it had
been for few weeks previous. A small
portion of the contents was saved, but most
ly in damaged condition. Among the
stock destroyed was 25 barrels of flour
which were being stored for a party at
Hustisford. The books were saved
in good condition. The mill although
frame and an old one contained first-class
machinery capable of turning out the
best grades of -four, and the loss in the
aggregate on this account is greater than
was supposed There is some pros
pect that part of the machinery may not
prove a total loss and be yet made avail
able but for the most part the machin-
cry is destroyed beyond recovery. The
boiler, however, we understand is found
to be in tolerably good condition. The
mill was owned by Henry Pritzlaf and
was rented to Fred Miller & Company,
and operated for this firm on shares by
John Beynon, an old hand in the milling
business. There was an insurance OF on
ly $4,000 on the building, and f. Miller
& Co. and Beynon together had the stock
insured for $500 in the Lancashire. A
portion of the insurance ON the building
Is in the St. Paul Fire and Marine and
Concordia, of Milwaukee. The value OF
the building and machinery is estimated
at from $4,000 to $4,000 making Mr..
Pritzlaff's loss very heavy one. The
insurance on the stock we learn covers
about one-half the loss. Owing to the
peculiar construction of the mill, togeth
er with its being frame, made the rates of
insurance upon it very high, being from
5 per cent. to 6 per cent, and for this
reason its owner carried a comparatively
light amount.
The destruction of this property re-
moves one of the oldest landmarks of the
place. This mill was the first Touring
mill built in Watertown and for num-
Der of years the only one within great
distance of here, so that many long jour
neys were made to it in cold times 1t
had stood for 80 years although not in its
present condition, having been enlarged
and improved from time to time. 1t can
certainly be said that it went down in al
most appallingsgrandeur for finer pyro-
technic display was never seen here. The
heavens were illuminated as if by one
continual flame and for long distance
from the scene of the confagration per-
sons could see to read distinctly The great
volumes of smoke mingling with the myr-
lads of sparks produced a picture at once
weird and grand. The streets east
of the fire for a quarter of a mile were
strewed with huge cinders and burning de
bris and the wonder is that some build
ings along in their path were not set on
fire. Altogether it was one of the most
serious fires ever visited our city, and has
buried in ruins an industrial institution
that we can lily afford to lose. As to the orr
gin of the fire nothing is definitely known
although it is positively asserted that
there is evidence of its being the work of
an incendiary, kerosene oil being dis
covered on the floor by one Of the work
men who first entered the building The
mill had run for only few hours Mon
day which goes to show the improbable
ty of the fire having caught from the
machinery