Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-12-04
DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION.
FIVE HORSES cREMATED
The fremont House Barns and
a Large Amount of Other Pro-
perry Destroyed. Attempted
Gas Explosion at Turner
Opera House.

| perry CeStTOy0u'-A ltttiiptOO
Gas Explosion at Turner
Opera House.
Shortly after o'clock last Sunday
morning the fremont House barns, on
West Water street, Third ward, caught
fire on the east side and were entirely
consumed. Five valuable horses, three
of them stations, one an Ethan Allen,
owned jointly by H. Rogers and Christ.
Smith, were cremated in the buildings.
The barns also contained a lot of farm
ing implements and machinery owned
by Roper & Co. and the Mccormick
Harvester company, and traction
steam engine belonging to IL. Mayer,
none of which could be removed and
burned with the buildings.
The fire communicated to the frame
warehouse Of j. d. Casey's wagon shop,
adjoining the barns on the south, and
it's destruction was matter Of only
comparatively few minutes, the flames
making such rapid progress. Six cutters
and wagon and carriage stock stored in
! the building were wholly destroyed.
There was quite brisk wind from
the southeast and the sparks and flying
brands blown from the burning barns
started fire in the cornice of the Ire
mont house The flames soon spread
throughout the building and before the
fire could be brought under control the
upper stories of the building were
pretty thoroughly burned. The Ire
mont was occupied by Mrs. III. Name
gold as dwelling. The furniture was
all saved although some of it was dam
aged by water and removal. The fire
also spread to NJ. d. Conley's saloon
building directly enorth of the barns,
damaging the south end to the extent
of about $3.50.
For time there's was great fear that
the intense heat from the fremont
would break the windows of E. w.
Schultz's furniture store and cause con-
siderable damage to the stock. During
the fire Mr.. Schultz took the pre-
caution to remove large amount of his
best furniture to the Misegades build
ing. The fire department worked we'll
in keeping the fire from spreading, of
which there was great danger several
times Had the fire got full control of
the Conley building it is not unlikely
that the flames would have swept away
everything through to Main street
| bridge on the south side of the street,
and nothing it is likely could have pre-
vented Randall's block and the Gala
CHER buildings from being destroyed If
the fire in the fremont house had not
been checked. All things considered,
it was something of a lucky fire, not
withstanding attended by SO great a
loss. Although several blocks distant
the barns of G. Gloger took fire from
sparks requiring considerable work to
put it out, showing the danger that
menaced adjacent property
The losses by the confagration are
about as follows: John P. Slight, Ire
mont house barns, ST, 800; Mrs. H Man
Casey, warehouse and contents, ST 800
: NJ d. Conley, damage to building, $3.50
Roper & Co., farming implements and
machinery, 81 800; H. Mayer, traction
engine, $500; Mccormick Harvester
: Co., machinery, $500. The heaviest
$ losers are II. Rogers and Christ Smith
1 their loss on horses being placed al
from So, 500 to $1,000.
!. The only insurance on the entire
t property destroyed Was the following
John P. Slight, on barns $500, in the
German, of Peoria, Ill. Mrs. H.Manne-
gold, damage to the fremont, 81 900 in
German, of Rochester, N. Y; 81, 1000 in
? Liberty, of New York, and $500 in
, Farmers, of York, Pa; M. D. Conley's
/. loss on building is covered by insurance
t in the American, of Newark. Taken
t in financial point of view the loss is
3 the heaviest that has occurred from any
fire in the city for a number of years
l The origin Of the fire remains mys'
:. terry. 1t has some bearings that look
(. as if it might be the work of design and
8 yet in such building it would not take
: much to start fire; the careless use Of
a pipe or match would do the work
It is somewhat uncertain W neither the
8 fremont house will besrepaired or not
The city charter prohibits the repairing
8 ola frame building within the fire limits
when it has been damaged to the ex
tent of fifty per cent. of it's value. Should
the fire result in the removal Of the
: fremont, an old landmark, which has
stood in one form or another since 184t
3 will be taken away.
: The excitement incident to the fire
. made Sunday day Of unrest rather
. than day ofrest. Shortly after noon the
r team hauling the Anchor Co.'s hook
9 and ladder truck to the fremont, where
? a fire had broken out afresh, ran away