Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-11-14
ENTIRE BLOCK BURNED
Disastrous confIagration at De-
catur, Illinois.
HELP SENT FROM SPRINGFIELD.

Breaking Out in the Powers Grand Opera
House the Flames Spread to Adjoining
Buildings Until an Entire Block Is Wiped
Out-The Loss Estimated at Half Mill
ion Dollars and Only Partially Covered
by Insurance-Other Blazes.
DECATUR, Ills. Nov 5.-Fire broke out
in the Powers Grand Opera house at $3.50.
Alter destroying the opera house it ex-
tended to adjoining buildings and an en-
tire block in the business center Of the
city is destroyed. The loss is estimated at
100000, only partially covered by insur-
ance. TIE danger was so great and the
fire so apparently beyond local control
that at 9:2o the mayor telegraphed
t. Mayor Woodruff of Springfield
for assistance which was prompt
~ furnished. The buildings burned are
Powers Grand Opera house, e. w.
Uucly's tailor store, H. +. Whiteley's drug
store Harry Fisk's furniture store, Co
lumbia Manufacturing company, Linn a.
Schrugg' ; 100000 dry goods store. Milli-
ken bank. The fire broke out at $3.50
O'Clock in the Powers Grand Opera house,
which was built and furnished in 1889, at
a cost of 100000 the flames starting in
the basement under the stage
Could Not Check the Flames.
The firemen were unable To fight the
flames successfully, as the fire had extend
ed through the first floor and almost to
the roof before the alarm was turned in.
The house was destroyed, the loss being
fully SO, 00t' with an insurance of so, 600.
There was danger of the blocks fronting
on Water and East Main streets taking
fire, and, after the roof of the hall fell in,
it seemed that the whole block owned
by Orlando Powers would go; but
immediate danger was averted, only to
be soon renewed. Many of the store
keepers moved out The fire ut 10 o clock
communicated with the north half OF the
Powers block, north of the opera house,
getting through by way of the basement
under the Milliken bank 1t was impos-
sible for the tiremen to fight the fire sue
cessfully, ana it rapidly got beyond con
troll, destroying the bank, the Columbia
Manufacturing company's plant, the two
rooms occupied by Harry Fisk's fL.1iture
stock, and the Linn & Schruggs corner.
Much of the dry goods property was re-
moved by the aid of hundreds of people.
Help from Springfield.
The knights of Pythias, the Modern
WoOdmen, the Rathbone Sisters, and the
Princes of the Orient property were saved.
The Powers block fronting on Water
street was saved, the wind being favora-
bic. Help came from Springfield, which
city sent over an engine and crew at IL
o'clock and aided in subduing the fire
Orlando Powers owns the entire block,
and the loss on the buildings Will fall
wholly ON him. He is worth over 81 ,0O0,-
600 He carried no insurance, excepting
the $40, 600 on the opera house. The loss
is placed at 100000 to $4,000 Fisk car
ried $1,000 on a $1,000 stock. There was
danger of the block north taking fire
several times during the confiagration,
AT late hour the losses and insurance
We're estimated as follows: Orlando Pow
ers, opera house, $4,000; insurance, $780,
90; g. w. UOely tailor, $500; insurance,
$50 600; Fl. II. Whiteley, loss, $50, 900; in
surance, S4,250; Fisk's furniture store,
loss, $1,000; insurance, 5000; Linn 81
Schruggs, stock valued at $4,000 insur-
ance. SI02 800.