The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-05
COSTLY LUMBER FIRE.


Nearly One Million Dollars Worth
Burned at Ashland, Wis.
ASHLAND, Wis. Aug. 4.-Nearly a mil
lion dollars worth of lumber was burned
in the Barker & Stewart and Keystone
Lumber Company's yards at Ashland this
afternoon. Almost fifty million feet of
lumber was burned and two of the Key
stone Company's tramways and four out
of five of the Barker & Stewart tramways
were burned to the waters edge with all
their lumber. This evening it was thought
the fire was under control, but at o'clock
the wind suddenly veered toward the city
and is blowing gale. The alarm was
sounded again that the city and mills were
in grave danger. The fire attacked new
lumber yards and it looked as If Barker G.
Stewards mill especially would CO. The
Ohio Coal Company dock, Durfees mill and
the Ashland Iron and Steel Company were
directly in the path of the wind. The fire
started in the Barker & Stewart yards this
afternoon at 1:30 o'clock. Nearly 1900
pounds of dynamite was used in blowing
up the lumber piles and after a three hours
desperate fight both the sawmills were
saved.
Of the lumber destroyed two million feet
belonged to Gilbert. Nearly all of the rest,
on both docks, belonged to the Edwards
Hines Lumber Company. Of Chicago.
II estimate that the forty million feet
of lumber on the Barker & Stew
art and keystone docks is burned,
said Edward Hines. MY loss is $4,000.
fully covered by insurance. The entire loss.
including my lumber and that belonging to
others, is about s1,00O.OO0. Tramways will
be rebuilt in few days, there is plenty
of logs in the booms. The mills will soon
be running again. By rare good luck 1
caught three of my fleets by long distance
telephone this afternoon, which were just
leaving for Ashland and ordered them to
load grain.
Nothing but the direction of the wind
blowing saved the eight big lumber
mills yards, the ore docks and good part
of the city
AT o'clock when it seemed as If the
whole city was in great danger, the wind
suddenly veered again toward the bay and
away from the city and mills Meanwhile
the fire had secured a fresh hold and was
slowly but surely eating through the re-
manning lumber piles toward the Keystone
mill. Several hundred men worked like
demons with every available line of hose,
and so hot was the blaze that bucket
brigade was formed to pour water on the
firemen to keep their clothes from CATCH
ing fire. Since O'Clock several million
feet of lumber burned, but at 10 o'clock the
fire was checked except in one spot and
there was good prospect of checking that
The flames had eaten to within forty feet
of a long double row of lumber piles run
ming directly to the Keystone mill and it
was seen that if the fire got into that the
mill would CO. The fire had been burn
ing ten hours at 10 O'Clock, and the fire.
men were exhausted. There has been no
loss of life and serious injuries
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Aug "A special
to the Sentinel from Ashland says: I'm
the Barker & Stewart yard four employees
assisting in the dynamiting were pinioned
between burning piles of lumber, and after
looking anxiously around and waving their
hands to the 5000 spectators on shore in
hope of receiving help, were seen to go
down in the fire raging beneath them"