Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-18
Milwaukee Receives Another
Visit From the Fire
Fiend.
T l.. Kelly & Co.'S Mammoth Dry
Goods House Completely
Destroyed.
Loss About $4,000, Nearly Gov
cred by Insurance
firm's Prospects.

Inc mainn1OIn dry goods store OF j. j..
Kelly & Co, 80 and 81 Wisconsin street
and 3S5 Broadway, was completely
Quilted this morning. The total loss will
probably reach 100000. All of the
losses are pretty fully covered by in
Surance.
The main store of L. l.. Kelly & Co.
is on Wisconsin street. The front is
three stories high, but the rear part has
only one story. This rear part is CON
nected with the Broadway store, which
is four stories in height. The fire start
ed in the rear of the basement in the
main store. How it started is Il myS
terry, but the most plausible theory is
that it started in some manner from 4
gas jet which is left lighted day and
night The fire was first discovered
about 1908 by two boys who turned in
the first alarm.
Firemen were at the scene in remark
abby quick time, and eleven steamers
and the effective cataract We're soon
doing effective work.
Ladders were run up in front Of the
building, on the side in the alley, and
over on Broadway the men got on top
of the four-story building by means of
the big Hayes truck.
Firemen on the upper floors kept the
fire from coming up, and the men on
the ground had nearly twenty streams
of water pouring into the first floor and
basement. The fire was a stubborn one.
It did not blaze up us much rs would be
expected, but the whole place was filled
with dense smoke, and the firmen had
to guess to Il large extent where the nu-
merouS small blaZeS We're. The roof
and walls of the structure which con-
to the flames and fell in. Then the fire
men had Il little better chance to work.
They were able to direct their streams
where they would be more effective,
and it was not long before the fire was
entirely out. The fire did not at any
time get beyond the control of the fire
men. but they were not able to work
to the best advantage, and that is why
it took an hour and a half to get the
flames entirely eXtinguished.
Except for the destruction of the
building which connected the two
stores, and Il severe ScOrching to the
rear OF the Wisconsin Street store, there
was not much damage by fire. But the
dense smoke and the vast quantities of
water poured in the building had COM
pleted the damage to the stock, which
was utterly ruined. Just as the fire was
about ont the water came pouring out
of the double entrance in veritable fiv-
uletS about three inches deep. Articles
of every description were swept out
into the street by the stream. Down
in the basement could be heard the
chatter of boots and shoes rs they were
dashed from one side to the other by
the powerful streams from the lines of
hose.
Upstairs, over Kelly's Wisconsin
store, were the dental parlors Of DR..
Brookins and DR.. Carmichael, and the
office of Crane & Barkhaeusen, archi-
tects. besides several small offices i'll the
rear of the upper floors. III. G. kuhl-
mann < Co. occupied the second floor of
the Broadway building, and the other
floors were occupied by families rs
dwellings,. Some of these places were
very slightly damaged. DR.. Carmichael
will be able to keep engagements to-
morrow.
While the fire was at it's height the
employees of Kelly'S store began to AZ
rive. The crowded to the front rs far
as the police would allow them and
watched the destruction Of the place.
One bevy Of pretty clerks was not con-
tent with the view obtained from Wis
cOqfsin street, and went around on
East Water street. At the corner of
East Water and Michigan streets there
was a line of hose chatting on trolly
wire. Just rs the girls were passing
the hose burst. Had they been immers-
ed in the river they could not have been
any wctter.
Last night was the first evening in
many years that w. J. Martin, mana
ger of kelly's store, has not visited the
place. Mr.. Martin and family visited
iE Racine yesterday, and he did not
make his customary visit to the store.
The south and west side patrol wag-
ons hurried to the scene with a full
quota Of officers, and these with squad
from the central station, were sufficient
to keep the crowds back.
He calmly remarked that he would
resume business as soon as he could get
located in temporary quarters, and
would be permanently located as soon
as satisfactory arrangements could be
made Before 10 o'clock Mr. Kelly had
the after of at least four store rooms.
one being the Matthews Bros building
on East Water street, now occupied by
F. A. Lappen & Co.. Mr.. Lappen gen
erously offering Mr.. Kelly such space
and acomodations as he might need.
Mr.. Hansen. Of the Hansen fur store.
also came to the front with an offer of
room in his store. A. W. Rich fastened
to offer his old friend such store room
in the White House as he may want,
and it may be that Mr.. Kelly will pur-
chase the White House stock and good
will. but not the location, as Mr.. Kelly
never admired the stand.
The entire amount of insurance car
ried by Mr.. Kelly is S139.OO0, and The
loss will amount to $4,000 or $780,
OOO