Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-24

|f|R[ AI BURLINGTON
The Harmer Saw Mills, Among
the Best on the Mississippi
Destroyed.
Big Piles Of Fine Grade Lumber
Also Burned-The Loss is
Heavy.
Several Acres of Lumber Yards Des-
troyed or Damaged Other
Iowa News.

+
Burlington, Aug. 24.-The Harmer
saw mills were totally DESTROYED by fire
last evening, entailing loss of $4,000,
with insurance of but half that amount.
The large sash and door mills. Of
fees and store rooms We're saved, az
high wind blowing the flames in the ops
posite direction.
The fire was first discovered by the
Waterman few minutes before 6
O'Clock, and the alarm was5 sent in FROM
the mills. a few minutes afteIWara
Workrnen at the basket factory noticed
the flames and sent in a secona alarf;l.
Ii was hardly minute FROM the tiine
of discovery until the entire mill Wa
wrapped in flames. The North Hill
cart arrived first, followed Immediately
by the chemical engine. The mill is
half a mile away from the nearest ny
drant and before any water could be
thrown the firemen saw that all efforts
to save he building woula be fruitlesa.
The flames appeared to originate III
1.-the engine room at The south end OF
I the mill and when first discovered
seemed to have enveloped the lower
| part of the building. The fire burned,
| fercely, steadily, spreading With amaz-9
ing rapidity 10 every portion Of the
| plant and eating along the piles iflum-
| Der to the north. The strong wind
4 blowing greatly increased the fierce
\ ness of the blaze, sending streams of
lire along the piles of sawdGst filing.
4 Barrels of tar. which had been brought
TO the building for the purpose OF coat
/ ing the roof, added food 10 the flames
and sent up broad ribbons of tame,
which the wind curled and turned into
fanciful shapes. The heat Of the fire
was; intense and kept the crowd away,
i tho the fire laddies braved the flames
4 and forced two streams of water into
! the burning timbers. Chief Eornung
4 at once turned his attention to confin-
ing the flames into as small an area as
possible and the water was placed With
this end in view, where il would dostile
most good Northwest Of the building
was big pile of straight lumber,
sawed and ready for the planning mills.
! This caught fire and was also nearly
4 destroyed.
The buildings Were as dry as finder.
{. underneath the engine room the tins
bers had been saturated With the drip
4 ping of oil for years and the dry saw
Sl$aust all added 10 the flames.
i From the bluffs hundreds of people
4 witnessed the fire. The flames, hurled
Lin mighty sheets against the clouds and
4 a dense black smoke poured from tbs
4 big stacks, as IL the fires of the furnace
had been lighted.
II The flames covered an area of Ssevera
a acres in extent and as the people
q watched the timbers We're burning thru
& and the building crumbled to pieces
falling into the glowing furnace.
The fire,nen worked bravely, but
without effect until Shortly after
d O'Clock the strong wind brought with Il
8 a heavy rain storm. The sheets ofrair
A did what the two feeble streams from
q the hose could notdo. Slowly the flames
a subsidized under the influence of the ter
" rents OF water and by O'clock the firs
was practically under control.
The burned property was what was
i always known as the Old Island Mill
3 II was built thirty five years ago anc
has changed hands many times sislct
81 then. When Mr.. lfarmer came hers
y and built the big plant North Of towI
Ii lost its old title. In 1895 the m i'll was
rebuilt. Ii was equipped withtile fines
a machinery 10 be obtained and wa:
known as one OF the best mills alons
the Mississippi river
The mill was frame structure, Blu
subst antialiy built. 100 feet long an
about 30 feet wide.
:. $50,
: brick. On the south end vas an ie4
s contained about 100 tons OF ice. On tn
west was a large platform extendins
about 100 feet from the building Thi
was also burned. On the north Was
bridge, or long rranlway, which ais
suffered considerably.
The fra now appears to be in a d.
: preston in the ground. apparently "
{ cause sllere are raised platforms d
L every side.
! The loss on the mill WILDE total j
y ID. Harmer, who is manager for Z. L
: Dankwardt. and who was at the fif
E last evening, said: The loss VIII b
Vi heavy. our last inventory showed tn
1 property in there to be worth from
i $4,000 70 $4,000. If the piers and f.
$ house cannot be saved, it Will be neare
: $4,000 Thu Insurance is, / think onl.
u one third OF the amount
r ------------------------- 80
She Iholled1o Death.
Winfield. Aug. 24.-Some four month
Y ago little Dorothy Haiaht got a haze
I nut lodged in her Wind pipe. She wa
. taken to Burlington and an operate
4 performed for the removal of the Object