Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-04-14
Ia CROSSE nv FLAMES.
Property to the Value of Nearly q Million
Destroyed.


Destroyed.
The most ruinous fire La Crosse has
ever known occurred on the 9th. 1t
started at 10 O'Clock, g. spark from
John Paul's planning mill falling on a
pile of shavings from the planners.
Suddenly the flames shot up along the
side of the building to the roof, and,
caught by north wind, were carried
through the mill from end to end like a
flash of lightning. Mr.. Paul's lumber
yard is all north and east
of the mill, and the flames
did not make the least prog
ress in that direction, but swept on to-
ward the splendid mill and immense
yards Of G. l.. Coleman, located south
of Pauls and only separated there
from by narrow street. The fremen
put on stream after stream of water,
until fifteen lines of hose were playing
on the fire. Citizens congregated by
thousands and aided with buckets in
every way possible. A splendid fight
was made for the mill and for an hour
the flames were kept back, but when
the whole mass of lumber on the north
was a roaring sea of flames, the wind
rising and carrying the burning boards
through the air like rockets, and the
fire springing up in twenty new places
at once, it was seen that the mill must
go. A hard fight was made at the
planning mill across the street on the
east, and the fire was kept back until
the main mill w@s q mass of flames,
when that also had to be aban-
doned. The fire then swept rapidly
south through the yards, and more
slowly east through the storage shede,
until at O'Clock the entire property
mill, planning mill, dry houses, stor-
age sheds, offices, and 100000 feet
OF lumber were wrapped in q roaring
mass of flames. South of the yard
there was q number of small dwelling
houses, and these followed one after
another until the entire river bank
was swept clean. Southwest of the
yard was an island on which Messrs.
Coleman and Paul had 21,OOO,OOO
feet Of lumber piled up. Two steam
ers and 100 men with buckets de-
Tended this island and saved it.
When the fire was found to be get
ting beyond control, the mayor tele-
graphed to Sparta, Winona, Milwau-
kee and St. Paul for assistance. The
first two sent aid, but the requests to
the two latter were countermanded,
although Milwaukee started two
steamers, which got as far as Portage,
and Portage started one that got to
Tomah. The Sparta and Winona men
relieved the home department when
the men were exhausted and rendered
valuable assistance. On the east the
fire crossed Second Street and cleared
off two half blocks on which a number
of small buildings were located.
A careful estimate of the loss places
the total at between 100000 and
100000. The heaviest Individual
loser is G. l.. Coleman, his loss being
100000, with no insurance. John
Paul's individual loss is $15O,OOO; in
sured for 100000. The frelaid waste
ten blocks, which included two of the
largest lumber yards in Wisconsin,
and some eighty small houses. Fully
1000 men are thrown out of employ
ment, and 1000 persons rendered
homeless. It was by far the most de-
structive fire that ever visited La
Crosse, and but for the favorable wind
the entire southern part of the city
would have been SWeDt aWaV