The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-10-13

. heat became so intense that peopl
4 standing block distant could M
\ look at the fire steadily without pr,
' letting the face. The fire brand
began falling southwest OF the fir
and within few minutes the home
n of s. C. Mexican, No. sos First avg
nue. West. S. B. Glarey, No. S07 FRS
avenue West, Jos. Fisher and jane
Myers, Charley 4bes and Chet Quick
) on the south side of the avenue, anC
Joe GAberts. 9I3 Second avenue Yves
and half dozen more in the same 10
!, cality were on fire. Sparks showeret
on the roofs of the houses as thick as
snow fakes in a winters storm, and
water was thrown at each of the
places to quench the fires started
The constant attention of bucket bri
gade was necessary to keep the fires
from breaking out. +.
4 At the Mexican house the roof was
time and the sides of the building
were subjected to heat sufficient to
char the Misunderstanding. The roof
was constantly smoking to the point
where it seemed about to burst into
fame at every part and stream of
water was kept playing on the roof
and sides. This house aside from
fire damage sustains damage from
the water.
Incredible as it may seem, the main
| Nf hn mill
the property on the south half OF the
lots, was burned down and the huge
frame of the building had fallen
thirty-five minutes after the alarm of
fire was sounded. The whole struct-
ure was a mass of fame at one time
that shot up into the air a hundred
feet or more and the road of the giant
furnace could be heard distance of
several blocks. The firemen are
thankful for the fact that there was
little or no wind at the time. The
atmosphere was comparatively still.
If a wind had been blowing to carry |
the heat and the embers the whole
southwest part of the city might have
been wiped out.
The heat on the interior of the
building must have been that of a
crucible. Machinery was melted down
as in a blast furnace and even the
rim of the great fly wheel of the en-
CINE in the basement was heated to
the point where it collapsed.
The fires in the elevator and the
-four warehouse were not controlled
for hours afr the main building was
down. Water was played upon the
ruins from several streams during
the afternoon and until ten o'clock
Sunday night. The fire department
returned 10 the place this Monday
and resumed their assault
upon the mass of red hot ruins.
Historical.
The Siebel Mill was an heirloom OF
The city. 1t has passed down from
,ne generation of residents to another
through a period of over a half cen
.ury. 1t has been in constant opera
ion in the city for sixty years ana !
was one of the oldest buildings in the
county. The main structure was
erected by Benjamin Roop in lS0l-52 {
and was operated as a grist mill and ;
4 distillery. II was built by Roop, !
and Company. The business |
grew and prospered and in 1857 a !
large addition was erected in the {
north part OF the lots and was used !
IN connection with the distillery as
4 whiskey refinery. The property /
passed into the hands of Hambleton I
& McCurdy in 1866, who discontinued
he distillery and in that portion of !
he building occupied by the refinery s
hey established a wooden mill. The !
property passed 20 the hands of John |
Siebel and w. Esgen in the following
rear, 1866, and was increased in size
md importance. New machinery was
added and the mill property greatly
enlarged. The original mill building
vas 65 feet square, operated three
sets of the old-fashioned grinding l
1urrs and had a capacity of two hun
lred and fifty bushels of wheat per
lay. When Siebel & Esgen took the |
the building was enlarged,
additional grinding machinery install
ID and the daily capacity much in
;reased In later years the old fash
oned and obsolete grinding machin-
cry was replaced by modern steel roll
sr process and the property was as
we'll equipped, size considered, as any
OF the kind in the land. The
I'D property has had several hundred
thousand dollars invested since cree.
ion 4
The engine that turned the mill ma ,
;hinery was a powerful Alis-Corliss
Engine, one of the largest and best ,
machines of its kind and the best en-.
zine Of its class ever brought to Os-
faloosa or vicinity. 4- /;
The old wooden mills, three-story
structure, measuring 1Ie by 1873 feet, K
vas burned TO the ground in 1885, and
vas never rebuilt. The elevators,
warehouse and storage sheds occupied
he greater portion Of the lots where.
IN stood the old wooden mills. A
sreat fire wall Of solid masonry saved
he south half Of the structure from
destruction in 1885 when the wooden
mill was burned.