Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-06-18
DESTRUCTION COMPLETE:
The Fire at Rhodes Farm Sat-
urday Afternoon Destroys
Nearly Everything.
NOT A BUILDING LEFT STANDING.
Loss Estimated at $4,000
With About $4,000 lnsur-
ance. Origin Unknown.

The destruction Of property by the
fire at j. H. Rhodes farm In the
town of Bellevue Saturday after
noon was complete, not Il building
ON the place being saved. The fire
started shortly after noon Saturday,
when all help were away, and moth
ing could he done ny tho women to
put out the fire or save property.
The fire was first discovered in the
large stock barn, and when first
seen large volumes Of flame and
smoke were issuing from the south
west corner Of the barn loft in which
was stored about ten tons OF hay.
The wind was in n favorable direc-
ton for the fire tiend. and from the
large barn the flames spread rapidly
t. the granary. hog house, hen
house. machine sheds. creamery and
the residence and in only a short
time after the discovery, of the fire
everything was In ashes or u smOl-
dering mass of ruins.
The loss On buildings Is not the
grea test, for nearly all OF them con-
tanned property OF as much or more
value than the buildings themselves.
The granaries contained HOOD
bushels Of oats, 3, 600 bushels Of corn,
1000 bushels Of wheat, 700 bushels
III rye and quantity Of barley.
The machine sheds contained the
harvesting, seeding and other
machinery. and every piece was COM
pletely destroyed, including six wide
cut harvesters, as many seeders and
other pieces Of machinery too
numerous to mention.
Although there were no men about
the house at the time the fire
started, they could have done but
little toward saving the buildings
but could undoubtedly have saved
much OF the contents.
Frank Long, who has been Opernt-
ing the farm under II lease, was In
the city Mt the time Of the ire as were
also two of the hired men with loads
of wheat. The other hired man was
at work In one of the remotest
corners of the farm aud did not
discover the fife until 1t had made
great progress and when he reached
the place. the heat was sucl, thaG he
could do but little to save the
property. Besides Mr.. Rhodes loss
Mr.. Long is also a heavy loser. but
neither can yet give a very correct
estimate of the total loss.
Mr.. Rhodes estimates his loss on
buildings at $4,000, with about
$4,000 insurance, grain loss about
$4,5OO, with $2,75O Insurance, fnrm
machinery $4,000 with no insurance.
Mr.. Rhodes stated today that in
all he carried about $4,000, but some
OF this was ON the live stock, none OF
which was destroyed completely.
although his trOtting stallion Prince
was badly burned and may die from
his injury. A tenn of horses belong
ing to man working on the place
were also burned, and were not
insured. Mr.. Rhodes stated that on
the property destroyed he thought
there was about $4,000 insurance,
and that the total loss would foot
up fully $4,000. OF the grain there
will tic considerable left that, though
not fit for the market, can be
ground into feed.
No one on the place knows any
thing about the origin OF the fire,
and the supposition is that some
cOmbustible material about the barn
was set on fire by the intense heat Of
the sun at that time.
About his future plans Mr.. Rhodes
could not say much at present
further than that he did not expect
to rebuild az large and expensive
buildings as the ones destroyed.
AS the large farm is nearly all in
crops this year some buildings will
be necessary to carry on the W ork OF
lonros%;.o. orf1 fr, ahol<ar tho stock