St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-20
EIGHT BLOCKSAB
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 Will
Hardly Cover the Losses
Sustained.

KEEOsHA, Wis, April l9.-The great
est fire when ever swept this city broke
out at 3 o'clock this morning in the en-
CINE room Of the Northwestern Wire
Mattress compauys factory, which vas
entirely consumed, together with the
factory Of the KeHosha 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 to the shore OF Lake Michi-
gan.
Directly to the east OF the factory was
the lumber yard connected with II; 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 ;. Baldwln's coal
ward. The mattress works had over
5000, 900 feet Of lumber piled. Head ~
Switzerland had piled about 100000
feet Of pine and the Balm Wagon works
about jO0,C0 feet Of dry oak, ASH ana
hickory. The wind was
Blowing Almost IA Gale
from the Northeast, and it was soon APP
parent that the iire-hghtlnR 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 to stop the flames until
the great factory and the entire lum Der
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
viii foot up nearly $500 $50, and all are
pretty well covered by insurance. None
of the Hrms Will be crippled ~ the least
and the factories will be rebuilt at once.
About 800 persons are temporarily
thrown out Of employment.
Eight Blocks Ablnze.
About O'Clock the entire lumber
district, taking in an area of eight
blocks, was a mass of burning timber
The heat was intense, and the firem EN-
were compelled to retreat at times and
fight the fire AT distance. The strong
southeast wind subsidized at about $3.50
O'Clock, and the tiremen for the first
time began 10 get the flames under con
troll. There were numerous fires about
town, caused by large pieces OF burning
wood being blown about, put they were
quickly put out.
The plant OF the Northwestern Wire
Mattress company is a total loss, together
with all the machinery recently pur-
chased, and about 1000, 600 feet OF lum-
Der. About rs men are thrown out of
employment there as Il result. The
Head Il Sutherland company's large
storage warehouse was consumed, to-
gether with about 100000 feet of lum-
Der. TIE Balm Wagon company loses
about 300 900 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 viii reach S330,0O0 with
an insurance of about 100000.
The different companies losses are as
follows: Northwestern Wire Mattress
company, $3.50, 600: insured for S95, 900.
Balm Wagon company, loss $40, 600; in
sured for S2l 800 Head and Suther-
land company, loss $4,000; insured for
SIP, 400. George ). Baldwin company,
loss S20. 600; insured for 500 kenosha
Crib company, loss $4,000; insured for
about 5000.
If the aid from outside cities had not
come in as promptly as it did. there is
no doubt the burned district would have
included the Balm shops and the bust
ness part Of town, and the loss would
have been nearly 81. 00O, 900.