The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-22
| r AT SIOUX CITY
PROPERTY VALUED AT ABOUT $780,
600 DESTROYED ny FLAMES.
Storage Warehouse, Linseed Mill md
Elevator Burned-Farm Implement
Companies Heavy Sufferers.

SIOUX CITY, Ia, March 21.-One of the
most serious fires in the history of Sioux
City destroyed the warehouse of the West
ern Transfer Company. No. 90 Iowa street,
to-day, together with its contents, entailing
a loss of more than $4,000. The high wind
which was blowing communicated the fire
to the linseed oil mill across the street, and
it was partially destroyed, with the greater
part of it's contents. making a total loss
of 1900. The wind, which had been from
the southeast, now changed and increased
in velocity blowing for a time directly from
the east. This communicated the flames to
the two big tanks owned by the linseed Oil
mills, and the platform on which they
rested began to burn fiercely. Thousands
of people had congregated by this time and
when they saw the tanks on fire, there was
a wild stampede. The storage building was
an immense structure. 500x60 feet, including
the brick storage annex. The main part of
the elevator was five stories high and had
a capacity of 150, 600 bushels. In the bins at
the time were stored 100000 bushels of
f1axseed and on the lower floor We're several
thousand tons of linseed oil cake ready Tor
the market In the annex the oil was IN
huge tanks. having an estImated capacity
of 10000 gallons.
When it was plain that nothing could be
done towards saving the implement ware
house the firemen turned their attention to
saving the oil mill storage house. Mayor
- ANASAANL ~
souri, Valley for the fire departments in
those towns, and they were soon ready to
fire could be controlled, messages were sent
to hold them back. The building of the
Western Transfer company was q mann
moth frame structure, six stories high, COW
cred with corrugated iron. The iron aided
the flames, as it kept water from reaching
the wood work.
The huge four-story and basement ware
house, 100x150 feet was filled from top to
bottom with farm Implements and machin-
rxy xyol,1od o% ohO.rf S9N0 nn This mqChin-
cry was owned by about twenty implement
companies in different parts Of the United
States. TIL list of these companies is as
follows: Rock Island Pillow, Rock Island,
ILL.,; Nebraska Moline Pillow. Omaha, Neb.;
andwieh Manqfacturing w Company, Sand
Company, st. Paul, Mimi; j. f. Soldering
& Co. Akron, o.; Aultman & Taylor Ma
Thresher Company. Battle Creek. Mich;
Kingman & Co, Omaha, Neb.; Norwegian
P PssH,n co n 9nin,an Da eo%Dspy Ia1 Des caam0 fIIs:
{ Co. i Peoria iii fii.; Rockford Manufacturing
works. South Bend, Ind; Sterling Manufac--
turing Company, Sterling. Ill; Stoddard
Manufa q URN e eomlpanyyi pa geiby. o STARR sane Z
Co. Peoria, ILL.,; Acme Harvester Company,
Pekin, Ill.
The contents of the burned warehouse car
ried insurance aggregating s31 $50 in the
following companies: Insurance Compan or
North America q an. 8 R $50; Liysssr 'JpS. c conaos and
union.. 800; Traders. $500; franklin. 5000.
Philadelphia Underwriters, $4,000; Pennsyi-
vania Fire, 5000. The warehouse itself was
protected by 10000 insurance. in the Liver
pool, London and Globe Insurance Company.
The insurance IN the oil mill cannot be
ascertained, as the National Linseed Oil
Company handles the insurance on all it's
plants. The Franklin and Pennsylvania
companies each carried 5000 and the Com
mercial Union $1,000 on seed in the elevator.
The value of the contents of the elevator
at the market price would make the loss
S9O0 ONn-