Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-29
A GREAT FIRE.

Feet OF LUMBER IOtally DcstIoScu-AhS
Entire Loss Placed at $696,OOc; Insur-
ance. 1888, 500 - Probable Cause Of the
Fire.
CHICAGO, May 9.-The new lumber dis
trict, located on the south fork OF the south
branch of the Chicago River between
Thirty-ffth and Thirty-ninsh streets, was
visited by an extensive and destructive fire
Yesterday afternoon, which caused a loss of
nearly, if not quite, S650,000. A high wind,
rising at times almost to a gale, was blow
ing from the southwest, and to this fact,
chiefly, was due the extent of the conf1agra.
ton, as we'll as the danger, imminent for
several hours, that it would be much more
extensive.
The fire of yesterday started near the
center of the southern portion of the yard
of the Chicago Llmber Company. The
men employed about the yard were all eat
ing their dinner at the north end of the
ward when it broke out. An alarm
was at once turned in but it was
some time before the department
| reached the scene, and by the time the
first engine arrived the flames were spread
ing fast, and an acre or more, covered
thckly with huge lumber piles forty to
sixty feet high, were all ablaze.
The origin of the fire is not definitely
known. Some were inclined to think a
spark from a tug in the river branch to the
southwest had caused it. The wind was
blowing strong from that direction, and
such an explanation is not unreasonable.
1t was seen at once by the flremen who
first reached the locality that they had a
hard fight before them, and that not
only the entire south branch lumber dis
trict was endangered but also Fowler
Brothers packing house, lying across the
river to tile south, the residence districts
to the east and north, and perhaps
the Union Stock Yards and the great pack
ing houses farther south. Accordingly
the first alarm was followed in close sue
cession by a second, then a second and third
combined, and finally by two SPECIAL
alarms. Before three O'Clock there were
thirty engines OH the scene. The fire-tug,
A.. Mosher, and later in the afternoon two
other tugs. the Mccormick and the Uncle
Sam, did effective work from the river.
. From the place of starting the fire spread
rapidly in all directions. 1t crept back to
the westward against the wind until it
reached the railroad track. The lumber piles
extended no further west than there. More
rapidly the fire extended to the southwark,
and stopped only when the river,
which makes a sharp bend at the south
ern limit of the Chicago Lumber Company's
yards, wa reached. In an incredibly short
time the flames traversed the yard to the
river on the cast. The air overhead was
filled with dense smoke and flying cinders,
some of them as large as a mans hand.
These the wind hurled, a literal shower of
fire, upon the yard of figelow Bros. on the
cast side Of the river. An old scow, be-
longing to the Chicago Dock Company and
lying in the river between the two yards
caught ard burned to the waters
edge. The fire started in q raging race
across Bigelow's yard, and all attempts to
stop it were futile. Even before it reached
tic eastern boundary Hinkley's planning
mill had caught fire from flying cinders,
and i'll less than III hour the establishment
was in ruins The entire southern half of
BigclOw's yard was consumed, and from
this the fire spread to the yard of Adams,
Hastings g. Co., lying to the southwark
along the river. 1t was only after long and
desperate fighting by the fire department,
and after twO-thirds or more of the yard
was consumed, that the flames were finally
checked and the fire was placed under con-
troll.
The estimated losses of the four firms
which are the chief sufferers are:
Loss. insurance
Chicago Lumber Co."."...s 450,00 $s19,5O
Adams, Hastings d Co... $1,000 10000
Hinkley y Co.............. $4,000 1900
.so5e,ooo 1851 600
The Chicago Lumber Company's yard oc-
cupied a space one thousand feet long by
five hundred wide along the west bank Of
the river from Thirty-tifth to Thirty-eighth
street. West of the railroad track
!! and opposite the north end of tile yard
it had a huge p%laning-mill. This escaped
unframed. The company had in its yard
25, 600, 900 feet of lumber and 7,OOO,O 900
shingles. The best grades of lumber in
stock were piled in the southern portion Of
the yard, and over this the fire swept. COM
pletely devouring everything. M. L. Green,
nearly as he could estimate it, about Is. OO0,-
| 600 feet of lumber, averaging in value seven
teen dollars per thousand, were consumed.
Bigelow Bros yard extended 1900 feet
along the east bank OF the river between it
and Ullman street. It contained TO- 600, 600
feet of lumber, 1900, 600 shingles and
LOCO, 900 lath, ~aggregating in value $780,
00O. About 1000, 900 feet had been put in
the yard within the last month.
Adjoining the blazing piles in Bigelow
Bros yards on the south was the plant of
Adams, Hastings Il Co., with 1000 900 feet
of seasoned lumber piled thirty feet high,
occupying a dock frontage of 462 feet and
extending 232 feet back from the river. There
were 500, 900 shingles stacked at the north
end OF the yard that had been in stock
eight months and were as dry as finder.
Before the avalanche of flame that swept
down from the Bigelow yards the contents
OF Adams. Hastings & Co.'s yard were like
so much gunpowder. Of the 4, 600. 600 feet
Of lumber in Adams. Hastings & Co.'s yard
fully two-thirds were destroyed.
Marshal kenney, with Truck 9, Engine
Company Fl, five chemicals and several
hand-pumps, patrolled Laurel street east
of the cabbage garden, OIL the lookout
for the misunderstanding sparks that were
continually dropping in showers. The
detachment under Marshal Kenney ex-
tinguished o M twenty incipient fires in
the frame cottages adjacent. The most de-
stluctivc of these fires started in Thomas
Gilllooley's two-story frame house at Is
Thirty-lifth street, The house was occu-
pied by the families OF Robert Burns and
Thomas Siattery, and was damaged to the
extent of So, 500. Each of the occu-
pants suffered a loss of 5000 on house
hold effects. The frame cottage of Anton
Stoltc AT SIS Thirty-sixth street was dam
aged to the extent OF $500. James Nc