Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-12
A BIG FIRE.
Rieker's Brewery Burned.

Rlener's Brewery Burned.
Last evening between four and five
o'clock very destructive fire occurred at
the brewery and saloon OF Frank A.
Kicker, on West King near Dorwart
street. The fire started in the second
story of the malt house. When it was
discovered it had gained considerable
headway. The roof of all the buildings
were of Shingles, and it soon spread from
the malt house to frame kitchen and
thence to the brewery on the south and
the saloon on the north. The malt
house was entirely destroyed together
with 1900 pounds of hops and
1913 beer kegs; $50 bushels of malt
were ruined besides lot of other stock
sc. In the cellar of the malt house were
80 barrels of beer in watts which was injured
the building which was of brick. facing on
West King street, Mr.. Kicker had his sa-
loon and also occupied it as dwelling
house. The whole upper part of the build
ing was burned and it was saturated with
water. Most of the furniture in
the house was either burned or
was destroyed in some other way. The
people in the neighborhood were greatly
excited and many worked hard to save the
furniture &c. Some of them endeavored
to save valuable articles by throwing them
out of the upper story windows and thus
breaking them to pieces The furniture in
Guiding new piano, was all new, MIR.
Iteiker having but recently had his house
refurnished. The roof and portion of
the upper part of the brewery building
was burned and some of the machinery,
cooling apparatus, &C., were destroyed
there as we'll as in the malt house.
The fire also reached a brick house
next door to Mr.. Kicker, which is owned
by Henry Strobel and occupied by f. w.
Gochenour. A frame building in the rear
was destroyed and the window frames on
the gable end on the east were burned out
of the house, which was completely soaked
with water. The furniture was carried
out and about 500 worth of it was either
broken up or carried away. The building
is insured for $1,000 in the Girard company
of Philadelphia, and Mr.. Strobei's loss will
be about 1000. There was no insurance
GU the furniture.
Mr.. Kicker was insured rs follows
through Bausman & Burns London As
surance corporation, $3.50; Union of
Philadelphia, 8, 900 Phoenix, of Hartford
$500; Lancashire, England, $1,000; Ma
tional of Baltimore, $4,000. This makes
total of $40, $50 which is divided in the
property as follows: saloon and dwellings
$4,000; warehouse, $4,000; brewery, ST.
and connections, $500; malt mill. $500;
and hops in brewery and warehouse, $1,000;
fermcnting tubs, kegs and mash tubs,
5000 stock in process, 500; saloon and
household furniture, $500; piano, 500
Nearly all of this property was destroyed,
but a small portion of it having been saved.
Mr.. Kicker is unable to estimate his loss
at present but he thinks it will be several
Thousand dollars more than the amount of
the insurance.
How the fire originated is not known, as
no fire had been used in tho part of the
building in which it was discovered. Mr..
Kicker was not at home when it started,
but was several squares away attending to
some business. Mrs. Kicker and the bar
tender. GOttlieb Rcttig were there, but
when they discovered the fire it was beyond
control.
For some reason Or other the tircmcn
were very slow in getting to the fire.
The Humane company being nearest to
the place were first to get there. They
went as soon as they heard of the locality
of the fire and at once began work.
Although the fire began before o'clock
the bell OH the Empire house was not
struck until long after five. The Friend
ship company had their horses unhitched
after hearing the first report of a fire, and
then were compelled to hitch up again.
They were the second company to
arrive at the fire. Much of
the delay of the fremen was
caused by their not knowing the exact
locality Of the fire. They were also told
many different stories by different persons.
Several of the companies were informed
that there was no fire, while others told
them that it was under control. The
alarm was not properly started at the
breaking out of the fire, and this, together
with the different stories told, did much
to delay the firemen.
There is good deal of dissatisfaction
expressed at the manner in which the fire
was handled, the delay in getting gen
eral alarm sounded and the conflicting
orders Of those in charge. Just who was
responsible for all this it is hard to deter
mine, but there was enough confusion to
enforce the popular demand for better reg
ulations in the management of the depart
ment and proposed investigation might
reveal the sources of complaint and the
remedy.