The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1903-01-09
WELSH RICE MILL BURNED.
Entire Plant and Contents Consumed
Early Saturday Morning.


Early Saturday morning the citizens
of Welsh were aroused from their
slumbers by the blowing of whistles
and ringing of bells and upon investi-
CATION it was found that the plant of
the Welsh Rice Milling Company, Ltd.
was on fire. The flames had gained
such Roadway when discovered that
the fire was beyond control when as
sistance arrived and the mill and its
contents We're entirely destroyed. en-
failing loss of between $45, 900 and
$50, 900
Just how the fire originated remains
a mystery, but from what can be
! CLEANED from the ni9htwatchman and
those who were first to arrive at the
scene of the fire, it seems to have been
the work of an incindiary. Watch
man Durfee had just made his regul ar
round at 4 O'Clock and was in the
boiler room getting up steam prepara-
tory to beginning the days run, when
the odor of burning rice sacks and oil
| attracted his attention toward the
Office. He found the warehouse ad- |
Joining the office mass of flames and |
in a very short time the fire had spread |
to other parts of the building.
In few minutes 200 or 300 persons |
were viewing what has proven to be |
one OF the most disastrous fires Welsh |
has experienced. In almost the short
space of thirty minutes from the time
the alarm was given the mill was in
ruins, consequently nothing could be
done to save it, but all effort was
directed toward saving the plant OF
the Welsh Machine & Well Works
company, near by.
Many theories were advanced as to
the cause of the fire, some thinking
it started from an oil stove in the
office. Such was not the case, how
ever, as oil had not been used for sew
eral days prior to the fire, Besides
the Office stove and lamp were intact
after the fire was discovered.
There were about 1000 bags of
rough rice, $500 bags of clean rice
and four carloads of harvesting ma
and agricultural implements
belonging to the Calcasieu Implement
Co., Ltd, stored in the mill and all
were consumed by the flames. The
losses as nearly as can be estimated
are as follows: Clean and rough rice,
SIS, 00C to $50, 600; implements and ma
$4,000 to $4,000; mill and
$50, 200: bags, etc., 81 900.
Insurance, $4,000.
This mill was one of the Oldest in I
Southwest Louisiana, having been I
moved to Welsh from Bayou Chere
in 1896. 1t was then the property Of
Lock Il Thompson, now business men
in Lake Charles. In 1899 it was pur- t
chased by Paul w. Daniels, H. S. ;
Daniels and S. j. Steele, at which 1
time new and modern machinery was i
Installed and the building remodeled
Until this year the mill has been run
1ing to its full capacity both day and {
hight during the seasons and the ma Z
,hinery was said to be among the best s
or rice milling purposes in the belt. C
Paul w. Daniels, president of the a
Welsh Rice Milling Company, Ltd, I
stated to the JOURNAL that the mill f
would positively not be rebuilt and a
hat the company would liquidate it's e
affairs as rapidly as possible. He C
urther said that he would make good
I'll losses to the farmers, who had rice =
stored in the mill, as quickly as posi- !,
lie.
This is severe loss to Mr.. Daniels =
Who owned seventy shares of the stock. !,