The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-22
It Destroys a LargeAgricultnral
Implement Warehouse.
Extensive Linseed Oil Works
NorrowIy Escape.
LOSS HALF A MILLION.
The Largest Fire the City
Ever Had.

Sioux CITY, Ia, March 22.-One of
the most serious fires in the history of
Sioux City completely destroyed the
warehouse of the Western Transfer
Co., No. 200 Iowa street, yesterday,
together with it's contents, entailing
loss of more than $500, 900. The high
wind which was blowing communi-
Gated the fire to the linseed oil mill
across the street and it was partially
destroyed and the greater part of it's
contents consumed, making a total
loss of $500, 900.
The wind, which had been from the
southeast, now changed and increased
in velocity, blowing for 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
fercely. Thousands of people had con-
gregated by this time and when they
saw the tanks on fire there was wild
stampede. The storage building was
an immense structure 500 by so feet, in
Guiding the brick storage annex. The
main part of the elevator was stories
high and had a capacity of $50, 600 BUSH
els. In the bins at the time were stored
100, 900 bushels of faxseed and on
the lower floor several thousand tons
of linseed oil cake was ready for the
market In the annex the oil was in
the huge tanks, having an estimated
capacity of 100, 900 gallons. When it
was plain that nothing could be done
towards saving the implement ware
house the firemen turned their atten-
ton to saving the oil mill storage
house. Mayor Fletcher telegraphed to
Lemars and Missouri Valley for the
fire departments in those towns. and
they were soon ready to respond, but
when it was found that the fire could
be controlled messages were sent to
hold them back.
The building of the Western Trans
fer Co. was mammoth frame struc-
ture, SIX stories high, covered with cor
rugated iron. The iron aided the
flames, as it kept water from reaching
the woodwork. The huge four-story
and basement warehouse, 100 by $50
feet, was filed from top to bottom
with farm implements and machinery,
valued at about 5000, 900. The machin-
cry was owned by about twenty i'm
plement companies in different parts
of the United States. The list of these
companies is as follows:
Rock Island Plow, Rock Island, Ill;
Nebraska Moline Plow, Omaha, Neb.;
Sandwich Manufacturing, Sandwich,
Ill; Walter A. Wood Harvesting Co.,
St. Paul, Mimi. j. F. Seiberling & Co.,
Akron, o.; Aultnan & Taylor Machin-
cry Co.; Mansfield, O.; Advance Thresh-
er Co., Battle Creek, Mich; Kingman
& Co., Omaha, Neb.; Norwegian Plow
Co., Dubuque, Ia; Chambers, Beering &
Quinlan Co., Decatur, Ill; +. B. Tate Sc
Co., Decatur, Ill. Hurst, Dunn e Co.,
Peoria, Ill; Rockford Manufacturing,
Rockford, Ill; Oliver Chilled P1ow
Works, South Bend, Ind; Sterling
Manufacturing, Sterling, Ill; Stoddard
Manufacturing, Dayton, o.; James
Selby & Co.. Peoria, Ill; Starr & Co.,
Peoria, ILL.,; Acme Harvester Co.,
Pekin, Ill. The contents of the
burned warehouse carried insur-
ance aggregating S31,75O The
warehouse itself was protected by $780,
900 insurance. Insurance on the oil
mill cannot be ascertained, as the Ma
tional Linseed Oil Co. handles the in
surance on all its plants. The Frank
lin and Pennsylvania companies each
carried $4,000 and the Commercial
Union Sc, 600 on seed in the elevator.
The value of the contents of the ele-
vator at the market price would make
the loss 5000, 600.