The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-07
A BIG LUMBER FIRE
VISITS LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN
Destroying two Large ;PIAniuE Mills aud
Extensive Yards, and q Number OF
Dwelling Houses = oas Thousand
MoR Thrown out of Employment.

MtLwAuEEE, Wis, April Gal La Crosse
special to the Erening IFisconsin says; A
fire broke ont in John Paul's and Charles
L. COlman's lumber yards at 10 O'Clock
this morning, destroying both mills and
several million feet Of lumber. This is
the greatest Conaagration eyeFsxperienced
here, The loss at noon was half a million
dollars. At / o'clock the lire was still
burning, The fire department is dong its
best to stop the progress Of the flames,
but without effect, 1t looks at this hour
Is though the fire would destroy a million
dollaEs worth Of property.
La CRossE, WIS, April Gone Of the
most disastrous ContiagTations that ever
visited La Crosse broke out at o'clock this
morning in John PAups mill and swept
southwark, destroying the mill and sew.
eral thousand feet Of lumber belonging 10
Mr.. Paul. Thence 1t swept to the Yards
and the mill Of Q. l.. Coleman, destroying
everything to the river bank and for two
blocks southwark. Tho loss up to noon
was estimated at q quarter OF q million
dollars, and the flames we're still blazing
from one pile to another, despite the ex.
ertions OF the entire fire department,
which had turned out from all the wards
with hose and hook and ladders. All Nhe
cleaners were brought into service and
al the power that could be obtained from
the mill pumps, the city water works and
the local hydrants.
ATHRILLING SIGHT,
The scene about the ConhAgration be-
came thrilling, Thousands OF people
thronged the streets, the sidewalks and
the housetops to witness the greatest and
most destructive conhagration that ever
broke out in La Crosse, ThedTe originated
from q spark from the mill stacks or
from the furnaces, and in an instant the
blaze grew into roaring Conilagration.
In fifteen minutes the mill was doomed
and in half an hour 1t fell
in ruins with all Its splendid
machinery. There was no staying
the progress Of the flames which
jumped to the great piles Of lumber
and In an hour made seething sea Of
flames, against the heat Of which no FIRE.
man could stand. The wind was blowing
fresh from the north. At noon the silua.
tons had become appalling. The flames
were still moving steadily southwest. All |
efforts to stop the flames at Ooleman's |
mill proved futile. The immense struc.
nlre was soon q mass OF fire. |
The great planning mill adjoining
also caught and all the adjoining |
property was threatened. The workmen |
and the fire department then turned their |
attention towards Oass street, where o |
force OF men wers set to work 10 tear down |
the lumber piles that the flames might be |
stopped. There all hope for saving the |
property was abandoned. A
train OF thirteen box cars belonging to the |
Milwaukee and ST. Paul road was threat. |
ensd. Eight Of them were consumed. At
| P. N. 1t was evident the fire was gaining
on the men.
THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL.
The fire was brought under control at
2 O'Clock with the help OF the Winona and
Sparta fire departments. A great many
steamers are still playing on the ruins.
The total area burned over is five blocks
long and block and half wide. Besides |
the large lumber mills OF Paul & Cole.
man with great planning mills, the La
Crosse soap factory and immense store
houses filled with seasoned lumber, lath |
and shingles, there were eight houses |
burned. The total loss is placed at from
one half to one million dollars, one half
insured. One thousand men are thrown