St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-15
PROHIBITIONS GAIN.
A Distillery and $4,000 Barrels
of Whisky Burned.

A Distillery and $4,000 Barrels
of Whisky Burned.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Aug. A.-Twenty-
three thousand barrels of burning
whisky at the Kentucky distillery this
morning caused one of the most disas-
trous fires that ever visited the city of
Louisville. A rough estimate made at
noon, while the flames were still roar
ing furiously, placed the total loss at
fully 100000. 1t was all caused by
careleSSneSS on the part of a cOlOred
man, who was assisting the Waterman.
He was moving some barrels to reach
one in the storehouse that was leaking.
Placing the lamp on the floor to better
attend to his work, he climbed On top of
one of the piles. But a misstep started
the leaking barrel down and when it
struck the lamp the whisky and Oil to-
gether started fearful blaze. The
Kentucky distillery was the pro-
perty OF Julius BarknOuse and
company, and was located on Storey
avenue, between Adams and Ohio
streets. For almost month it had
been shut down and consequently at
the time. there was nobody about but
the Waterman, one assistant, and the
office clerks. The distillery property
consisted of an immense distillery, con-
tanning the machinery for the manu-
facture of the whisky, extending back
from the street almost $50 feet. The
lower part was of frame, while the front
was of brick and was three stories in
height. East of the office and adjoining
it was the two large warehouses, where
were stored $4,000 barrels of whisky.
This building was entirely of brick,
three stories high, almost $50 feet deep,
and about 100 feet wide. 1t was here
that the fire started. The distillery
warehouse was the next to the
largest in Louisville. The total
depth of the two warehouses
was 233 feet. All this went
down, and was totally consumed. The
distillery proper was "a feet by 331s land
to this had been built two additions, the
dimensions of one being 73x4919 feet,
and the other 24X2S feet. The cistern
room went down with the warehouse,
and was IS feet square. The ferment-
ing room was 32X16. All these build
ings were destroyed, and the loss on the
building will reach up in the neighbor
hood of $4,000. There was stored in
the warehouse at the time of the fire
$4,000 barrels of whisky. AS not a sim
gle barrel was saved. the loss on the
whisky alone, giving to each barrel an
estimated value of $40, reaches up to
half million. The loss was almost, if
not entirely, covered by insurance. The
distillery was not running now, so that
nothing will be lost by delay in starting
up. While it is in operation the daily
output will average fully 100 barrels.
The owners of the distillery are
members of the corporation styled the
Kentucky Distillery company. M. Julius
BarkhouSe is the president of the COM
pany. He is now in Europe, but was
notified of the fire. Louis Barkh0use.
the secretary and treasurer, is also out
of the city, and was telegraphed the
news of the fire at Mackinac. At 1:30
O'Clock the fire was under control. The
immense warehouse of the Kentucky
Distilling company is a complete
wreck, and the entire plant of the Great
Western pork house of Conrad & Seller
is totally destroyed, including all of the
cattle and hog pens and the stock of
meat. The records of the internal reve-
nue. office show that the warehouse con-
tanned $4,000 barrels of whisky. Much
of this whisky had been sold, and was i'll
sured by the purchasers. The total loss is
estimated at $S7O, 600, divided as follows:
On whisky, $500, 900; Oh distillery plant,
$500, 1000; Oh the pork house, S150,000,
other losses. $4,000. In addition to the
above the United States government
sustains negative loss of $S9, 600 i'll I'M
collected taxes. All of the property de-
troyed was well Insured.