Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1887 — EXTENSIVE LUMBER FIRE. [ARTICLE]

EXTENSIVE LUMBER FIRE.

Evansville, Ind., Visited by a Disastrous Conflagration. Twenty Acres of Lumber Yards Burned Over With Loss of Oyer. 8500,000 — Water Supply Inadequate'. Fire broke out at 1 o’clock Wednesday morning in the lumber yards of Armstrong and Reitz, near Evansville, and were not subdued for several hours. The water supply was entirely inadequate. Before the flames were subdued they destroyed the lumber yard of the Armstrong company, some 2,000,000 feet; Armstrong’s saw mill, stables and two dwellings, the lumber yard of John A. Reitz & Son, some 5,000,000 feet; fifteen cars of grain on the Peoria; Decatur & Evansville railroad track and a large warehouse containing tobacco, grain and general merchandise. The total loss is estimated at $250,000, on which there is about SIOO,OOO insurance. Most of the lumber was seasoned walnut, ash and oak. Armstrong’s factory was saved with great difficulty. The fire is believed to have been of incendiary origin. - There was no loss on tobacco. Armstrong carried on lumber $10,500 insurance, and Reitz only $15,000. Armstrong’s insurance other than on lumber is in mutual companies. There was only $3,000 insurance on the twelve cars of grain burned, including the grain in the round house. The loss will exceed a quarter'a million of dollars. OTHER FIRES. Thursday: The saw mill and lumber yards of John G. Owen at East Saginaw, Mich. Loss $137,000. The saw and plaining mill and lumber yard at Ullin, 111. Loss $65,000. The saddle and harness manufactury of Frazier & Jones at Syracuse, N. Y. Loss SIOO,OOO. Forest and farm fires near Joliet, 111., did great damage. The creeks are all drv. The Calumet and Hecla mine at Calumet, Mich., is on fire. No lives lost.