The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-06-27
WAS AN AWFUL FIRE
THE CHICAGO BEDDING COMPANY
BURNED COMPLETELY OUT
THE LOSS A VERY HEAVY ONE.
The Fire Believed to Have Been of Incen-
diary Origin One Man, Bernard
Rosnow, Under Arrest on
Suspicion.
THE LOSS A VERY HEAVY ONE
(From Mondays Daily.)

mass of brick bats and charcoal. The
plant burned down between s and u
o'clock Sunday night, and how it
caught afre may forever remain a
mystery. There are some very st1ong
suspicious atioat that the fire was of in
cendiary origin, and some facts which
have turned to light seem to enforce
the suspicious.
just how the fire started no one
seems to know. General Superinten-
dent B. J. Block was on the scene very
shortly after it was discovered, but he
was unable after most careful search to
get any story of the origin which
could be considered good.
AS nearly as can be learned the fire
started about o'clock. According to
the prevailing opinion there were three
explosions at three different points at
nearly the same moment, on the east
side of the building. Neighbors state
that the first one was loud one some
thing like the explosion Of a gun and
| that the other two seemed to be lighter
! Still others claim that there were but
two explosions, while still others be-
lieve that it was but one, and that a
dynamite cartridge. JUST which one
is correct it is impossible at present to
state. From the best information OBJ
tainable it appears that flames shot
across the building at the time of the
explosions, much as if the explosives
used had been some sort of rocket or
as if trains of powder had been laid
through the building. Immediately
after these flashes were seen the whole
building seemed to seethe in roaring
flames, and the windows dropping out
| furnished the necessary draft to set the
entire building going at terrific
rate.
"A young man who lives in house
next the factory, saw the flames very
early and he made his way into the
factory and opening the whistle tied it
open. He then rushed out in search of
the night Waterman, Abe Levin, who
was supposed to be on duty at this
hour. He was there when the engi-
neer left the works at 6 O'clock. This
young man told Mr. Block that the
Waterman was not to be found at the
moment anywhere around the plant.
The alarm was given by the whistle.
It's blowing so constantly led the fire
department to ring in an alarm and
then responded. The plant was SO far
from the city and consequently from
the water supply that The department
could be of very little use when il ar
rived. The fire had gained such head
way that the walls were mostly down
and everything was in mass of flames,
Nothing could, in fact, have saved
anything Of value. A freight car
which had been standing on a side
track close by was set upon by the
flames and soon there was nothing but
eight wheels and a few pieces of iron to
show where it had stood. Notwith-
standing there was hardly a breath Of
air stirring, the fire burned fiercely. A
large part of the contents of the fac
tory was excelsior, and this, Of course,
burned almost like powder,
The company had passed it's spring
busy season, and was now manufacture
ing for the fall season. AS a conse-
quence there was quite a heavy stock
of goods, in mattresses, pillows, feath-
ers, ETC., on hand. Nothing of this
stock was saved. Almost every YES
tige of it went up in smoke.
After the hose had been strung to
the fire across fields from the Pennoyer
sanitarium where the engine was
obliged to locate, the fremen did
everything in their power to subdue
the fierce element. They worked
nobly, and with one stream of water
drawn from half mile distant they
succeeded in saving the engine and
boiler room and it's contents and the
ware houses adjacent In these ware
houses was the stock of the Kenosha
Cotton mill company, and this was
almost entirely saved. The fire boys
worked until between l aud 2 o'clock
when they were invited by the ladies
at the sanitarium to an elegant spread,
of which the boys partook heartily and
thankfully.
Suspicious Circumstances.
| The manner of the origin of the fire
as far as it could be learned seems to
look suspicious when taken in connec-
ton with alleged threats alleged to
have been made. Mr.. Block, in speak
ling Of the fire, said to the News man
that he believed that either union men
or some of their sympathizers had been
the cause of the fire. 1t will be re-
membered that the Chicago Bedding