Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1884 — FIRE RECORD. [ARTICLE]

FIRE RECORD.

A defective flue was the origin of a fire at Allegan, Mich., which completely gutted that thriving little city. Between thirty and forty places of business were burned, Including three of the best blocks in the city—the Sherman House block, the Empire block, and the Union block. Forty stores and a number of dwellings fell victims to the flames. All the newspaper offices, the Journal and Tribune, the Gazette and Democrat, are destroyed, a few fonts of type being all that was saved. The loss will aggregate nearly, if not quite, $40,000, while the Insurance, it is believed, will amount to $150,000. The business men of Allegan take the fire very phllosphlcally, and the burned out places will toe speedily rebuilt. Fire broke out at Grand Rapids, Mich., during the prevalence of a high wind, and, before the flames could be cheeked, destroyed property of the estimated value of $200,000. The sufferers were the Bissell Carpet-Sweeper Company; Frank Maybee, brooms; E. G* Studley & Co., leather belting; Grand Rapids Felt Boot Company; R. E. Butterworth’s buildings; Clark & Ocher, sash, doors, and blinds; Stadon’s woolen mill; Novelty Manufacturing Company; Comstock’s saw-mill, and Richmond’s box factory. Two employes of Bissell’s CarpetiSweeper Company perished m the" flames. East St. Louis, 111., was visited by a $350,000 blaze, nearly all of which was caused by the destruction of an elevator in which was stored 300,000 bushels of grain. Several saloons and boarding-houses were reduced to ashes. The town of Port Spain, in the Island of Trinidad, West Indies, was almost wiped out by fire, the loss being placed at $500,000. Other fire losses for tho week were as follows: Losses Reed City, Mich., saw-mills 15,009 Memphis, Mo., stores 40,000 Cassville, W. Va,, business property 15,000 McComb, Ohio, Odd Fellows’ Block 20,000 Cadillac, Midi., schoolhouse 10,000 Cleburne, Tex., eight business houses... 60,000 Cincinnati, stone-cutting machinery..... 20,000 , Oskaloosa, lowa, coal mine building 50,000 Vandalia, Mo., nine stores and offices.... 20,000 Pittsburgh, Kan., eight stores 30,000 Thornport, Ohio, flouring-mill 15,000 Pembina, Manitoba, livery stable 15,000 Brockton Mass., shoe factory 20,000 Utica, N. Y., Clinton Block 80,000 O’Neill, Neb., business houses 10,000 Worcester, Mass., wool store 40,000 Secor, 111., six business bouses 15,000 Pittsburgh, Pa., cooper shop 10,000 Philadelphia, fertilizing works 30,000 Middletown, Ohio, railroad depot 20,000