The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-28
CONQUERED BY THE FLAMES.
fhe Old COttOn-MilI Property Totally
Destroyed by Fire Last Night.
Fhe loss will Probably Reach $4,000, Par
TALLY Covered by insurance. Talk
with Owners and IeSSees.


night Work in the mill was suspended six
weeks ago, and although the machinery has not
been running since, the fires in the furnace of
the engine-room have been kept burning suff-
GENTLY to keep up a moderate degree of steam
The only way in which the building could have
canght fire from this heat was in the engine room
and the origin of the disastrous confagration of
last night is, therefore, a mystery to those CON
nected with the mill.
While making his first round through the
building for the night, at 10 o'clock, the watch
man, Richard O'Meary, discovered a blaze is
suing from corner of the room known as the
picking department." which is the third
floor, in the southeast part of the mill,
and, instead of Fastening to give
the alarm, ran for bucket of water,
Which he threw upon the fire, supposing
that it was only an Incipient blaze which he
could extinguish alone. He had hardly thrown
the water however, before the whole room was
,snveioped in flames, and he then ran to turn in
An alarm The nearest fire signal box is at the
corner of Washington and Gesendorf streets, a
distance of fully four squares from where
the mill was situated and before the
Waterman could give the alarm the
flames had made great progress. The
remote situation of the nllls. and the slippery,
frozen condition of the streets prevented the fire
department from reaching the burning building
as quickly as they could under ordinary circum-
stances When they arrived on the scene the
flames had spread through the third and fourth
stories of the mill, and had gained such Roadway
that with the greatest advantage it would have
been almost impossible to have saved the burn
ing building. A second alarm quickly succeeded
the first but it was fully half hour
from the time that the fire was discovered before
the department could get stream of water with
sufficient pressure to throw it to the third story
where the flames were raging fiercest. The
nearest hydrant with which connection could be
made over four squares distant, and the
hose carried only small and weak stream from
1t, which reached barely to the third floor.
The mill has been operated since last summer
by the manufacturing firm of Brewer & Love
Brothers, of Utica. N. Y with the Love
Brothers, Hugh NJ and John r., as resident
managers of the business. Owing to business
depression, a surplus production. and low mar
kets the firm suspended work six weeks ago,
but it is said that they had announced to their
employees that they would resume after New
Years.
The origin of the fire is a mystery. 1t is
claimed that there was no fire in the part of the
building where the flames were first discovered
and therefore there is no other theory than that
it must have started from possibly the accidental
dropping of lighted match, probably from the
combustion of material stored in the room, or
maybe from incendlarism. There is no conclu-
.sive evidence, however, to support any of these
theories
The building is owned at present by Henry
Echnull, who, being interviewed by a Journal
reporter, said; We have $50, 900 insurance on the
building and machinery, half of which is placed
in agencies represented by Alexander Metzger
and the other half with Gregory & Appel The
property is leased to Brewer & Love Brothers,
of Utica. N r,anrfact-rers Of 80. .,,., ,.,,-
who have operated the mill since the first of last
3ufy They were in a fair way to work up a
good business. They paid us a rental of 81, 800
year, and paid the taxes and insurance, paying
the last quarterly in advance We owned all
She machinery they merely rented and run the
mill. The mill was bonded for $39, 600, the
bonds belonging to Franklin Fire Insurance
Company. of his city, $4,000. John Thomas
$4,000, William Rowe $4,000 and my
self $4,000, all of this city. The
mortgage was foreclosed was appointed trus-
tee and two weeks ago bought it in for $4l ,000
The original value Of the property was $3.50 000
We used to carry $4,000 of insurance, but two
weeks ago by consent of the other hOndholders, l
cancelled $50 200 OF The amount 1t has not been
q profitable property. l have heretofore lost
$50. 600 on it."
The.material belonging to Brewer & Love
Brothers was insured for $4,000 in agencies rep
resented by John Williams $500 of which
amount is in the Commercial Union. and 81 0OO
in the Guardian.
There were no cisterns adjacent to the spot,
and it was necessary to run two of the engines
into the river for water 1t was with the great
est difficulty that the fremen could handle the
long lines of hose, as it was necessary to drag
them through the snow and slush, and the rain
was falling in torrents. ] he water stood in the
bottoms around the mill, in many places three
feet deep and through the puddles the be-
numbed fremen foundered and shivered.
The burned building stood in the river
bottc.t' about three blocks from the old
Wasi.n ton street bridge and between it and any
street which the department could approach
were two steep embankments and the bed of the
old mill-race forming almost unsurmountabie
obstacles in the path of the engines and reels.
The unfavorable circumstances combined so de-
layed the department in getting a stream that
would reach the third story, that by the time
water was obtained the flames had gained such
headwav. that it made apparently little
impression -Four streams were all that could
be thrown for more than an hour The elevator
chute and the stairWays at the west enG served
as perfect hues ana down these the flames crept
steadily and irresstbly until the basement was
reached and considerable damage was done in
that section. Finally, however, entrance was
forced near the base of the elevator, and
the fire began to give way TO the fremen.
At o'clock this morning the
fire had been practically quenchel and the
progress of the flames checked. AT that hour it
was impossible to ascertain definitely the dam
age. The two top stories are totally destroyed,
and the walls above the third floor so badly
sprung that they viii undoubtedly fall The
second and first floors are partially burned and
greatly destroyed by water, as is also the base
ment.
A journal reporter called at the residence of
each of the Love brothers, last night, and con
veyed the first intelligence of the destruction
of their property. Both gentlemen were greatly
affected by the intelligence, and were so badly
'rattled" as to be utterly at loss for answers
to any of the interrogatores Of the reporter.
Neither could tell how much their loss would
tnll hon hnl