St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-27
COTTON tnCINERATED
4 Great Conflagration RACES
in Mobile for Over Five
Hours.
Nearly Eight Thousand Bales
Of Cotton Among the Prop
erty Destroyed.
Temple, Tex, Is Flooded by
the Bursting Of a Steel
Stand Pipe.
Millions OF Brick Are Ruined
by High Tides on the
Hudson.

MOBILE, Ala, Oct. 26.-One of the
most disastrous cOntlagratiuns ever wit
messed in this city began to-day about
1880 in the shingle mill of Stewart IL
Butt, and, owing to the strong north
east wind prevailing, was not checked
until . O'clock this afternoon. anu only
then after a favorable change in
the wind. The scene of the
FIRE was in the extreme northern
end of the city and includes the destruc-
ton of between 1000 and 500 bales Of
cotton, eight warehouses, three cotton
congresses, the large cottonseed oil
mills, the big ice factory, the Mobile
fertilizer factory, two large wood and
coal ards, three of the river steamers
and bCX factory. There was no loss
of life, although many of the firemen
were overcome with heat and smoke,
and many narrow escapes from falling
walls occurred. The loss is one of
the most serious ever known here
and can be safely put down as $l,OOO,0 ,0JO.
The paid fire department fought man
fully, and were assisted Dy many old
volunteer firemen in the face of smoke
ami flame. and kept ten or more streams
going. fed from the Bienville water
works. At O'clock tonight the fire is
we'll under control and no fears are en-
tertained for its continuance. The fire
originated in pile of shayings at
Stewart ~ Butts Sningle mill at One
Mile creek, and soon communicated 20
the mill, which was
Soon Swept Away.
owing to the strong wind. The ware
house of shingles belonging 20 the same
firm was saved through the firemen's
efforts. The flames swept southwark
toward the Oil house of the Standard
Oil company, but this was saved, and
prevented greater loss, as the Mobile d
OHIO freight depot was near. Good
mans warehouse caught fire from the
sparks, and soon went up in flames,
with its 400 bales OF cotton. The high
wind continued carrying the flames
southwest TO Browns warehouse,
in which was stored 5000 bales
of cotton, all of which was
swept away. From there the fire
was communicated to the Selma ware
house, in which was stored 200 bales,
Which was all swept away, the horses
being the only thing saved from the
warehouse. The Taylor press adjoining
then caught and burned. 1t was un-
used at this time and had no cotton
stored in it. Truwitt'S warehouse, with
40O bales of cotton, was the next to go.
none of 1t being saved. Beers ware
house adjoining caught fire, but was
put out with partial loss. No cotton
was in it at the time. While the ware
houses were burning it was discovered
that the Mobile L Montgomery depot
wharf, saved from burning of the freight
warehouse, was on fire and soon went
Atthe same time fire was discovered in
the cottonseed old mills, having caught
from sparks from the cotton fire. and
soon this large property was wrapped in
flames and burned, burning with rapid
lily and tierceneSS, famed by the breeze
and communicating 10 the Merchants
press, which with its compress, not in
use at the present, and used as depo It
for the Mobile 81 Birmingham rail-
road was destroyed. In this were
a
quantity Of freight of the Mobile d
Birmingham railroad. The cotton was
the only thing in and about the build,
Ing that was saved, and this was slight
iy damag d. The Mobile Fertilizer
manufactory, NJ. Hudson, manager, was
the next To go III the general contiagra.
ton that vas
Sweeping Unchecked.
and which human aid was powerless to
save, so strong and fierce were the
flames. They now broke out in the
warehouse on the wharf of the cotton
seed mills, stored to the roof with cot
tonseed, which burned rapidly, setting
fire to the work on the south, where
there was wood yard of Johnson's at
the wharf. Along here were the rver
steamboats, Ruth, Mary Elizabeth and
Jewel, but SO fast did tile fire travel
that before they could be moved thelr
light work caught, and in the hot
hre about them they were burned
to the waters edge, The
flames then leaped on Commerce
street over Congress avenue. a vacant
lot To Cooley'S cotton compress, one of
the most modern presses and owned by
the townsend estate, which. together
with the Emanuel estate and C0oley's
warehouse. with their contents of l.0OO
bales of cotton went up in the flames.
johnson Bros wood yard in the rear.
with large quantity of wood and coal
ana %O,OOO oak slaves, were the next to
go, anu III turn communicating the
flames to the Mobile ice factory of Gage
u Lyons, and from this to the Gulf
City Wood and Coal company's ward.
James ODOnnel, manager, at the foot
OF st. Anthony street. Here six
ty-one bales of cotton on
the wharf, left there at 10
O'Clock by the steamboat Minnie Lee.
were brned. Here, at the foot of St.
Anthony street. the fire, which had
swept four squares on Commerce street
from Beauregard street, leaving stand
ing only on the east side the Mobile
~ MONTGOMERY general offices and head
quarters. found rest. Fortunately
The Wind Changed
and gave the now almost exhausted fire.
men who had not ceased their efforts
for the five hours, an opportun-
ity to return to the warehouses
and to save the contents. In
their course the flames had
spared Magnolia warehouse with 1000
bales. Calhoun's with 1000 and Factors
press with 1900 bales of cotton, The
cotton exchange report OF Saturday
gives the 2m0unt Of cotton on hand in
NlsuIfG Saturday at 1870 bales.
The alarm for the fire at Stewart &
Butts mill had scarcely come in when a
second alarm wss sounded for the burn
iBg OF the residence of Mosely f. Tucker.