Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1890 — GREAT FIRE AT MOBILE, ALA. [ARTICLE]

GREAT FIRE AT MOBILE, ALA.

Twenty Squa res of Buildings Burned, En tailiug a Loss of Abuut 8700,000, One of the most disastrous conflagrations ever witnessed in Mobile, Ala., began on Sunday about 2:30 o’clock, and. owing to the strong northwest wind prevailing, was not checked until 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and only then after a favorable changain the wind. The scene of the i fire was in the extreme northern eqd of thg city, and irdudes the destruction of between seven and eight thousand bales of cotton, eight warehouses, three cotton compresses, the large cotton seed oil mills, the big ice factory, the Mobile fertilizer factory, two wood and coal yards,; three of i the river steamboats and a box factoryThere was no loss of life, although nrapy of the firemen were overcome w&b-~hent and, smoke, .ami many narrow escapes from falling walls occurred. The Joss is one of the most serious ever known thercThe paid fire depart ment fought manfwHy aud were ass : sted by many old volunteer firemen in trie face of smoke and flame Ten or more streams were kept going, fed from the Bienville water-works. At six o’clock at night the fire was well under control and no fears were entertained for its continuance. More than twenty squares were burned, bounded by. Beauregard, Magnolia and St. Louis streets and the river. The loss is now estimated at $700,000, with about $400,000 insurance. The tracks of all rail roads centering here have been obstructed by the debris in the burned district, ami the trains are delayed.