The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-06-01
F|REBUGS ARE
AGAIN At WORK
Dubuque Suffers Another Loss by
Flames Sunday Night. !.
THREE SUSPECTS ARE ARRESTED
Work Of Organized Gang of lncen
diaries With Fixed Purpose to De-
stroy Factory District the
Belief of Citizens.

Dubuque, Ia, May 29.-Special:
Fire fiends, who started the devastat'
ing blaze Friday night which did more
than 100000 damage in the lumber
yard district Saturday morning, again
visited the same portion of the city
Sunday night. The flames complete
~ destroyed the south lumber yard of
the Standard Lumber company, the
principal loser in Saturday mornings
blaze, causing another 100000 loss
to that concern. Contin & Kearn's
big ice house, valued at $4,000, also
was destroyed, and the Star Brewery
sustained a $4,000 loss.
Three men have been arrested, and
are charged with knowing of the orr
gin of the fire. A reward of $1,000
Saturday was offered by the Dubuque
Industrial incorporation, for the ap-.
prehension of the fiends who set the
initial blaze
An alarm was turned in from the
south yards of the Standard company
at $40 o'clock last night, and when
the firemen arrived the piles of dry,
pine lumber were flaming high. Fan
ned by a lively breeze, the flames
quickly spread to the limits of the
yard and despite the efforts of the
fighters, leaped the cleared area to
the Conlin & Kearns ice house. The
ice house was RACED to its foundations
The plant of the Star Brewing COM
4 hut
extinguished this blaze before the
buildings were completely destroyed.
That an organized band of incendi-
aries with the fixed purpose of de
stroying the factory district, is active
ly operating, is the belief of many.
Saturday night fires sprang up stimuli
taneousIy in four widely separated
sections of the city, and the resulting
blaze did a half million dollars worth
of damage. Last nights fire started
in secluded corner of the south !
yard. and had gained much Roadway
before it was noticed
One theory which seems to be borne !
out in fact is that the previous fire
was the work of a pyrOmaniac. Speci- !
mems of oil soaked waste were found
at various points in the lumber yard. |
Rain Sunday morning made it all |
but impossible for fire to have result |
ed from sparks from an engine. Fire
men still were soaking debris from |
Saturday mornings blaze when flames |
were discovered.
An area equal to twelve city blocks |
in the lumber yard district has been !
burned over by the two fires. The |
dry lumber, thousands of feet of it, |
piled in the south yard. burned like !
finder, the flames leaping from pile |
to pile with amazing speed, and the |
intense heat made close approach to !
the scene impossible. Firemen work
ed throughout the night, heading the |
flames which constantly were break |
ing out around the circumference of !
the burned area.
The entire police force has been |
busily engaged since Saturdays fire, !
trying to find trace of those RESPONSE !
bic for the first confiagration. There |
is no known clue; the officials of the !
Standard company, against whom the !
principal efforts of the iends seem
directed, are completely at loss to
account for the destruction.
The reward of $4,000 offered Satur- |
day will be increased as a result OF !
the second blaze
Correct estimates of the losses of |
the burning last night of the Stand !
ard Oil Company was s25O,O00, two |
thirds of which was covered by insur-
ance. COnlin and Keans ice house, |
$4,000; Star Brewing Company. 81 !
900. The three men under arrest have |
been closely questioned today but the
police refuse to give out any infOrma-
ton. Startling reports are thought |
to be given out soon.