The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-07
GREAT FIRE AT LACROSSE.
Ten Blocks Of Buildings, Including a
Number Of Residences, Destroyed.
The Loss Estimated at from $500, 900 to ST.
600, 900, with Small Insurance-Four Hun
dred People Homeless-Fires Elsewhere.

LACROSSE, April Cone Of the most disas-
trous confagrations that ever visited Lacrosse
broke out at 10 o'clock this morning 10 John
Pauls mill. and swept southwark, destroying
the mill and several thousand feet of lumber be-
longing to Dir. Pau. Thence it swept to the
yards and mill of G. L. Coleman, destroying
everything to the river bank and for two blocks
southwark. The loss up to moor was estimated
at a quarter of a million dollars, and the flames
were still blazing from one pile to another. de-
spite the e~xertions of the entire fire department
which had turned out from all the wards, with
hose, and hooks, and ladders. All the steamers
were brought into service and all the power that
could be obtained from the mill pumps, the city
water works and the local MIGRANTS. The scene
about the confagration became thrilling. Thou
sands of people thronged the streets, the sidewalks
and the house.tops to witness the greatest and
mostdestructive conlagration that has ever broke
out in Lacrosse. The FIRE originated from a
spark from the mill stacks, or from the furna-
ces, and in an instant the blaze grew into a roar
ing conflagration. In fifteen minutes the mill was
doomed, and in half an honr it 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 a sea of flames against the heat of
which no fireman could stand. The wind was
blowing fresh from the north.
At noon the situation had become appalling.
The flames were still moving steadily southwest.
All efforts to stop the fire at Coleman's mill
proved futile, and the immense structure was
soon q mass Of fire. The great planning mill ad-
joining also caught. and all the adjoining prop
erty was threatened. The workmen and the fire
department then turned their attention toward
Cass street, where q force Of men were set to
work to tear Town the lumber piles, that the
flames might be stopped there. All hope Of saw
ing the immediate property was abandoned. A
train of thirteen box cars, belonging to the Mil
waukee & st. Paul road, was threatened, and
eight of them were consumed. AT l P. NJ. it was
evident the fire was gaining on the men.
At o'clock it was evident that the large fac
tory Of Segelke. Kohlhaus s. Co. was doomed.
The blaze broke out in the store-house OF the
satisfactory, on Second street. causing a COM
plete flame of FIRE for one block in length. The
frame store house and sheds burned with light
ming rapidity. and people on the east side of Sec
ond street began moving out at l o'clock. The
heat became so intense in Second street, from
Cass street south, that the people were driven
from that quarter. Flame and smoke leaped In
all directions from the Vincent yard, fronting on
Second street, and the scene was not only awful
in appearance, but grand in magnitude and ex-
tent. Thousands Of bundles of shingles. window.
sashes, ETC., were saved from Segelke, Kohlhaus
& Co.'S warerooms.
At 2 O'Clock the work Of tearing down the lum-
Der of j. Vincent was commenced, in hope of
checking the rapid progress of the fire. The
Cass street, of Segelke, Kohlhaus s. Co.. and pro-
crossed rapidly, despite the work Of fremen and
hundreds Of citizens, who worked very hard and
faithfully. By the time it was on
fire, however, it was almost emptied
of the mammoth stock Of worked lum-
Der. The last few piles of lumber on Cass street,
adjoining the sash warehouse, did not take fire
until nearly ! o'clock, so thoroughly had they
been soaked with water. The wind, too, since
IL o'clock had been very favorable, having
changed from direct southwark to east and
northeast. AS the fire progressed, people began
moving from their houses as far as
Third street. The fire kept raging
on Ferry street and progressing rapidly. Cole
mans undergrad was one sheet of fame from
end to end. A yard near the sheds, filled with
hundreds of cords of fre-wood, owned by James
Vincent, caught at / o'clock and burned rapidly.
the wood making an intense heat Mitchell's
elevator and ice-houses were in great danger,
and desperate work was done to save them.
The fire department of Sparta, with a steam
or. arrived at l o'clock. The fire at this time
reached to Market street. and dwell
ings were falling on all sides.
The Sparta steamer tapped q hydrant
at Division and Third, and Division and Market
streets. and went to work. The fire at 2 o'clock
had swept over Eve blocks. from Jay street to
Ferry street, and the flames showed no signs of
~stopping until they reached the river at the
southern extremity of Second street.
The Winona Ere department arrived on Third
street at 1:3O, and went to work on Division
street. kilograms were received from Portage
stating that a company was on its way from that
city. At 2 o'clock all the buildings west of Third
street. on the west side of the block, up to the
alley, were threatened, aud many Of them had
already succumbed to the flames.
On the island, two hundred men, with buckets,
and several streams from steamers, were at
work to save lumber. The fire was completely
under control by 2;30 o'clock. The departments
from Winona, Mimi. and Sparta, Wis, rendered
excellent aid. Engines from st. Paul and Min
neapolis were ready to start by special train, but
were telegraphed to stop.
A careful estimate of the loss places the total
at between $500, 900 and ST.. 600, 900, of which
as individual heavy losers, e. L. Colman is the
heaviest. his loss being $4O0. 900, with no iusur-
ance. John Paul's individual loss is $3.50, 900.
and lie is insured for $50. 900. The fire laid
waste ten blocks, which included two of the
largest lumber-yards in Wisconsin, and some
eighty small houses. Fully one thousand men