Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-27
ROCHESTER
in FLAMES
BEAUTIFUL CITY IN NEW YORK
SUFFERS FROM DISASTROUS
FIRE.
FIRE AT WAPELLO, IOWA
Damage Assresatins $4,000 Done in
Louisa County Capital Last Might
Believed to Be the Work of Incen.
dlaries-No Arrests Made

.
dlaries-No Arrests Made.
Rochester, N. Y. Feb, 2e. This
afternoon the fire is under complete
control. Insurance men estimate the
loss at $4,ooo,0oo to $5,ooo,ooo and the
insurance at about $2,500,o00.
Rochester, N. Y, Feb. 26.-The
worst conf1agration in the history of
Rochester, broke out about 5 o'clock
this morning in the basement of the
Rochester Dry Goods company's store
at 1876 Main street East. The fire
spread with such rapidity that by the
time the alarm had been turned in the
entire front of the store was mass
of flames. Soon the building occupied
by the Beadle & Sherbourne Co. was
ablaze and Chief Little appealed to
the Buffalo and Syracuse departments
for help. Nearly five hours later four
steamers arrived from Syracuse.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
Within an hour after being discov-
cred the fire had spread to the big
gigantic Granite building occupied by
the firm of Sibley, Lindsay & Curr and
hundreds of business and professional
men. The flames also spread to the
buildings in the rear of the Granite
block.
Loss Is Heavy.
The loss is estimated at between
$4,000,000 and $4,000, ,OO0,mos of which
fell on Sibley, Lindcay & Curr and
Beadle & Sherburn Co., the Rochester
Dry Goods Co. and the Walkover Shoe
Co.
The entire tenth floor of the. Granite
building was occupied by the Vacuum
Oil Co., a branch of the Standard Oil
Go. The Bradstreet mercantile agen-
cy had Offices In the building.
Under Control at II O'clock.
Several engines from the Buffalo fire
department arrived at IL o'clock. AT
that hour the fire was still burning
-fiercely but Chief Little believed the
flames could, be kept under control as
there was no wind blowing. The fire.
men used dynamite early in the morn
ing, but the use of explosives was soon
abandoned.
Fire at WapeIlo.
Wapello, Feb. 26.-One of the most
destructive fires that has visited this
city in years, broke out in the business
portion Of the town shortly before mid
night last. night and completely gutted
two of the finest mercantile buildings
and part of another before it was got
under control.The loss will reach about
$4,000, mostly covered by insurance.
1t is believed the blaze was of incendi-
airy origin.
A few minutes after II o'clock flames
We're seen issuing from the, rear of the
j. E. Garrett building on Second street
and before the department could be
summoned had spread over the entire
structure and rapidly worked it's way
to the w. L. Sweeny property adjoin-
ing. The G. A. r. building alongside
for time was seriously in danger
flames having broken out on the roof
but by hard work the fire workers sue
ceeded in subduing the blaze and con-
fined it to the two first mentioned
buildings.
Burned Four Hours.
1t was not until after o'clock this
morning that the conflagration was
under control, and had it not been that
all the structures were of brick, it is
thought the whole block would have
been doomed.
The Heaviest Losers.
The entire mercantile stock OF j. f.
Garrett, together with the building
was consumed. The loss is total an6
is placed at $4,000. The insurance is
$4,000 on the building and $6,500 on the
stock.
The K. of P. hall regalia on the Sec
ond floor is a total loss, with insur-
ance of $3.50.
The w. L. sweeny property was
empty and the damage, which was to-
tai, is $4,000, estimated.
The g.. A. r. building is valued al
$4,000 and contained the large rooms
of the order on the second floor, with
the postof1ice beneath. Most Of the
contents were removed and the dam
age to the building and fixtures will
not exceed $1,000. Druse's photograph
gallery is also located in this struc-
ture; his loss is small.
Work of lncendiaries.
1t is suspected that the fire is the
work Of incendiaries. A broken win
dow was discovered in the Garrett
building, and it is believed that an en-
trance was effected and blaze start
ed. This report cannot be verified an6
no arrests have been made.
The burned buildings were in the
heart of the business district on the
main street of the town, and were o,
brick and but recently constructed
It is the worst blow Wapello has suf-
fered in years.