Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-07-17
FIREBUGS AT WAUWATOSA
Business Portion of a Milwaukee
Suburb is Laid in
Ashes.

Milwaukee, Wis, July 11.-What ID
believed to have been a deliberate plan
to burn the entire village of Wauwatosa,
five miles west of the city, was made
yesterday morning Thirteen buildings were
destroyed, half dozen others were dam,
aged by the flames, sixty-three people
were made homeless the stock of nine,
teen business men was destroyed, the
postOfice building reduced to ashes, and
the village left without a justice court
room or a Jail. The business district OF
the village is wiped out. The loss will
be about $4,000, but the insurance is
less than half that amount.
The fire started in a small court which
separated the frame buildings occupied
by J. 3. Thomas, proprietor of a barber
shop, and George Reichert, who conduct
ed a saloon, from a keg Of oil standing
close to the door of the barber shop.
When ar attempt was made to put out
the burning oil the keg exploded, the con-
tents scattering over the two buildings,
which were quickly destroyed and whence
the flames were communicated to other
buildings
The worst feature of the incendiary
plot, for such the people of Wauwatosa
believe it to have been, was that while
the ire was in progress an attempt was
made to leave the village without
water supply by closing the gate of the
millpond which supplied it. The fire
was put out by engines sent from this
city.
The Path of the Fire.
The buildings totally destroyed, with
names of occupants, were: Smith & Lee
feber building, corner East Main and
State street, south side, Occupied by Ferdi-
nand Bark as a furniture store, two
stories, frame, with contents; Jewelry
store of A. Gamm, adjoining the furniture
,4~y,O 80 81, al ~ q
Lefeber; the j. 4. Kern block, directly,
south, two stories, frame, occupied by
Fred LuetZo, butcher; a vacant store adj
joining, and 3. Ruckert, bakery, and resi-
dence of Ruckert on second floor; Thomas
barber shop, adjoining on the south; the
Armstrong block, occupied by George
Reochert as saloon, with residence on
second floor, and the harness shop Of
Frank Dersch adjoining, with residence
on second floor. all on the south side OF
State street
On the opposite side of State street
the buildings DESTROYED were: L. R.
Gridley's boot and shoe store, two sto-
ries, occupied by Mr. Gridley as a resi-
dence on second floor; J. A. Kern's sa-
loon building, corner of East Main and
State, and residence of G. G. Jacobus
on the second floor; Walker & Lewis
hardware store and tinshep in rear of
the saloon building; the block and office
by Mr.. Sanford and by Ruekert s. Bayer,
bakery, residence on second floor; a va
cant store adjoining; E. G. Lynd's build
ing, occupied by him as a saloon and
residence; the tailor shop and residence
of William zach. adjoining which was
the postoffice building and clothing store
of Postmaster Shaw. the walls of which
were left standing, the only building not
totally destroyed in the fire district
This building was owned by Joseph
Buchanan.
Had Little Insurance..
The insurance held by the parties own
ing and occupying the burned buildings
was comparatively light because of the
high premiums usually demanded by in
surance companies on Wauwatosa village
owing to the fact that there is
no waterworks in the village, and but
yesterday the county board decided by
vote of IA to Ii not to extend the city
mains to the village, a distance of one
mile from the nearest dead-end. The ill.,
surance carried will probably about half
cover the loss. In some instances mer-
chants and residents of the buildings
lost nearly everything as they had bare
~ time to escape from the burning build,
ings in time to save themselves.