St. Paul daily globe., 1892-04-20
EIGHT BLOCKSABLAzE.
Kenosha, Wis, Manufacture
ing District Swept by
Flames.
Five Large Establishments in
Ashes and Acres OF Lum-
Der Burned.
Only the Going Down of the
Wind Saved the Beautiful
Little City.
Half a Million Dollars VIII
Hardly Cover the Losses
Sustained.

KEEosHA, Wis, April l9-The great
est fire which ever swept this city broke
out at o'clock this morning in the en-
CINE room of the Northwestern Wire
| Mattress comDauy's factory, which was
entirely consumed. together with the
factory OF the KenOsha crib company,
which occupied portion OF the same
great building. which was about one
hundred feet long, from sixty to eighty
feet deep and two stories high. and
stood close 10 the shore OF Lake Miehl-
gan.
Directly 10 the east of the factory was
the lumber yard connected with 1t; also
the lumber yard OF Head & Souther-
land and one OF the lumber yards OF the
Balm Wagon works, and adjoining on
the north was George 5. Baldwin's coal
yard. The mattress works had over
5000, 600 feet Of lumber piled. Head *
SOutheriand had piled about 3,OOO,OO
feet of pine and the Balm Wagon works
about 500, Coz feet OF dry oak, ash ana
hickory. The wind was
blowing Almost "a Gale
from the Northeast, and 1t was soon APP
parent that the lire-iighting capacity of
the city was insufficient for the emer-
gency. Mayor Petit telegraphed t.
Milwaukee, Racine, Waukegan and
Harvard for assistance. All points re-
sponded promptly with engines, but it
was impossible 10 stop the flames until
the great factory and the entire lUm ber
yards were completely destroyed.
Only by a judiclous concentration OF
efforts was the fire confined TO this ter
ritory and the town saved from COM
plete destruction. The combined losses
will foot up nearly $500 $50, and all are
pretty well covered by insurance. None
of the iirms VIII be crippled III the least
and the factories will be rebuilt at once.
About 800 persons are temporarily
thrown out Of employment.
Eight Rlocl1s Ablaze.
About 0'oclock the entire lumber
district, taking in an area OF eight
blocks. was a mass of burning timber
rhe heat was intense, and the tirem Ell
were compelled to retreat at times and
fight the fire at distance. The strong
southeast wind subsidized at about 9:30
O'clock, and the tiremen for the first
time began 10 get the flames under con-
trOl. mere RtTc numerous UISo dDOuL
town, caused by large pieces OF burning
wood being blown about, Dut they were
quickly put out.
The plant OF the Northwestern Wire
Mattress company is total loss, together
with all the machinery recently pur-
chased, and about 1000 600 feet of lum-
ber. About l75 men are thrown out of
employment there as result. The
Head IL Sutherland company's large
storage warehouse was consumed, to-
gether with about 3.000.009 feet of lum
Der. TIE Balm Wagon company loses
about 2,500,000 feet of lumber, their
works being situated in the northwest
part Of the town. The Northwestern
Wire Mattress company is the heaviest
loser. Its loss will reach $500, 600, with
an insurance of about $2O0.00O
The different companies losses are as
follows: Northwestern Wire Mattress
company, $350000; insured for $05, 900.
Balm Wagon company, loss $40,0 in
sured for sol 800. Head and Sulher-
land company, loss $4,000; insured for
$l2, 400. George :. Baldwin company,
loss 500. 900; insured for $4,000. Kenosha
Crib company, loss $4,000; insured for
about $1,000.
If the aid from outside cities had not
come in as promptly as ii did. there is
no doubt the burned district would have
included the Balm shops and the busi
ness part OF town, and the loss would
have been nearly $1,000, 600.