Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-03-09
MILL LOSS $4,000, $4,000 INsUR-
ANCE-SENATOR SWEETS LOSS
$20,000-12 PRIZE PERCHER-
ONS, BARN AND % HEAD
OF CATTLE BURNED.

Apout an hour aIber mlunlSht OF last
Thursday night Grangeville was visit
ed by a disasterous fire of un-
known origin that burned the Grange
vile Milling Company flour mill and
the big stock barn of Senator +. s.
Sweet to the ground, the total loss re-
sulting in the sum of forsy-five or fifty
thousand dollars. AS a result of the
fire Mr.. Sweet lost IL thoroughbred
registered horses and "a head of cattle.
One mare and two year old stallion
were saved but the mare was in pre-
carious condition. One stallion, prop.
erty of j. Bradley was also lost.
The mill amounted to about $4,000
according to the estimate of the own
ers. of which only $4,000 was covered
with insurance. About 240 barrels of
flour and in the neighborhood of a
thousand bushels of grain were destroy
ed by the fire. The milling company
is composed of w. w. Brown, r. N.
Walker and Isaac Zehner, the mill be-
ing taken over by these parties about
a year ago and being newly equipped
with new machinery to the value of
$1,000. small house standing north
of the mill was also destroyed by the
fire.
The greatest loss is sustained by Mr..
Sweet, and will be loss felt by the
entire community in the burning up of
some of the best Percheron horses IN
the northwest. The property of Mr..
Sweet destroyed in the fire is by
rough estimate valued at $4,000. The
buildings destroyed were worth APP
proximately $2500; the cattle, 23 head,
$1,000; two stations, including the
beautiful dapple gray Percheron and
black Percheron, both winners of many
blue ribbons, about $1,000; two young
stations, $4,000; 2 brood mares, $4,000;
five other horses, young animals, reg
istered Percherons about $3500; harness
equipment, and feed, $500. Another
stallion belonging to }. Bradley was in
the barn and lost in the fire. One
mare and two year old stallion were
saved.
On account of the barn being remote
from the town and being thought to be
free from danger of fire no insurance
was carried on the buildings or the
stock housed therein and the loss there
fore falls with terrlIlc force upon Mr..
Sweet who has devoted his entire en-
ergy of late years in the breeding of
pure bred stock, especially horses, ana
whose prominence in breeding circles
made him the choice of breeders of the
northwest to head the Northwest Live
stock Association. His influence in
promoting the raising of better stock
on the prairie may be seen in the great
number of fine colts that are offspring
of his Percheron stations.
Mr.. Sweet was getting some of his
bnroaa in oh FOR col tn ha
held some time in April.
Fire After Midnight
The fire was discovered shortly after
midnight Thursday and the alarm was
Immediately turned in. A terrific wind
was blowing from the southwest and
none of the residents in the south part
of town were awakened by the fire
alarm although some were warned by
the red glare of the fire that lighted
the entire town.
The fire started in the old mill and
;; before anyone had reached It the build-
ing was a roaring furnace that could
never have been quenched by ten times
as much water as was available and
the pressure was good. The wind fan
ned the blaze to it's hottest and little
could be done other than to save build
ings in the immediate neighborhood.
The distance away of the Sweet barn,
close to quarter of mile, caused no
apprehension as to any danger of its
catching fire. The direction of the
| wind however sent hot blast directly
towards the barn and burning brands
taken high in the air by the wind car
ried them to the barn, and no thought
was given of the barn catching until
it was discovered that the roof of the
structure had caught Men immedia-
tely went to the barn and aroused care
taker Floyd Irueblood, who slept in
the building and he was nearly suffo-
Gated by the smoke at the time. The
fire had made great headway by the
time help arrived on the scene and al
though the horses were cut loose, eff
forts to get them out were unavailing
and those that were driven out of the
barn rushed back in. One stallion was
taken out but rushed back in and
dropped in the alley way. The two
prize stations in their box stalls be-
came wild and it was impossible to
even get in to attempt to save them.
The most pitiable aftersight of the
awful destruction of the fire at the
barn was the incinerated bodies of the
horses, lying in the places which were
formerly their stalls. Most of the car
casses were completely consumed in
the fire and the mountains of flesh
had become big cinders.
Some of the peculiar circumstances
connected with the fire was the fact
that although the barn caught fire and
quickly burned, the house about $50
feet from the barn and southwest be-
ing nearer to the mill was not even
scorched. The small frame house just
north of the mill and only short dis
tance from the mill nd not take fire
until after the barn had been caught,
the flames and heat evidently being
swept high into the air and up and over