Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1898 — BIG FIRE AT LOWELL. [ARTICLE]

BIG FIRE AT LOWELL.

Two blocks of the business por-v----tion of Lowell was wiped out by fire early Tuesday morning. Caster’s opera house, Waters’ drug store, G. A. R. hall, Davis’ millinery store. Hacker's saloon, Gershman’s tailor shop, Masonic hall, Record office, Pixley’s jewelry store, Wheeler & Nichol's barber shop, Hayward's studio, Deathe’s hardware store, George Heilig's (formerly from Remington) restaurant and bakery, postoffice, Haskin & Brannon's hardware store, Spindler & Pletcher's department store were the buildings destroyed. Loss over $50,000 with only limited insurance owing to the high rates. Lowell is now putting in a waterworks system, but the work was not far enough along to render any aid in fighting the flames. The fire was without doubt the work of an incendiary, as ijt was started at two different points and the fire bell had been tied down to prevent giving the alarm. There is no clue to the dastard.