Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 October 1895 — HALF MILLION LOSS. [ARTICLE]

HALF MILLION LOSS.

NEV\f ORLEANS HAS A DESTRUCT- , IVE BLAZE. Incendiary Started It to Get an Insign ificant Insnrance-Little Ohio Town Nearly Wiped Out—Minneapolia Sawmill Goea Up in Flame a. 232: * * One Thousand Homeless. r That portion of the city of New Orleans, La., known as Algiers, was almost wiped out by flames Sunday morn-' -dngV.caiiSinga loss of "from $350,000 to $500,000, and rendering 1,000 persons homeless. An immense crowd went across to Algiers at night to look at the ruins. They were packed so densely on the wharf awaiting the ferry that it, gave way, and over sixty persons, including . many women and children* were precipitated into the river They were all rescued, but several sustained, broken limbs and internal injuries. The fire started a few minutes after midnight in the shanty occupied by Paul Buffin. Six fires have started in this place before the present. one, and the facts surrounding this one indicated Ire started it for the insurance. He bought six gallons of coal oil Saturday, and those Avho at first responded to the alarm claim they plainly smelled the burning oiL The house burned as though it had been saturated by oil. So plain did the citizens consider his guilt that! they made an effort to lynch him, and a strong cordon of police was all that saved him. The fire wiped out nine squares, or 197 houses. Blanchester, Ohio, Nearly Destroyed. Fire started in Burke’s livery stable at -Blanchester, Ohio, Friday afternoon and. burned until 7 o’clock, when it had wiped out the whole business portion of the town, five squares, bounded by Center, Short, Grove and Broadway streets and the Baltmore and Ohio Southwestern -Railway. A high wind prevailed and spread the flames likuto prairie fire before a galdf^The - iiiWTtopaftments otl Loveland, Lynchburg and Hillsboro responded’ to a call for help, but~wero of little avail because of the total lack of firocisterns and the great scarcity of water. -The flames dhl us thc^r j plogß( l d'Tmfl~~Oiriy stopped when the wind went' down and ' the fuel burned out. The'result was the j destruction of thirty-seven b us * nesa houses and their contents, twelve dwellings and contents, two* churches, two 1 secret society lodge rooms, and the post- j office. How the fire started has not been ' explained. Tire Mayor swore in 150 spe- • cial police to watch the salvage. The total loss is variously estimated at from $150,DQO to $250,000. Many families are homeless, and many mechanics and shopkeepers lost their all. ______ b Big Xavymill Burned. The sawmill of Elf. Backus & Co., at: Minneapolis, Minn., was destroyed by fire.; Friday evening. The loss will be $125,000 anil 400 men are thrown our of employ—inent. The mill shut down at’ G o’clock, but had considerable lumber to saw andj as a general thing has been running night and day. There was considerable lumber around the mill, but it was all saved in spite of a fierce wind. The mill contained four engines and lour boilers, and all are destroyed with the exception of perhaps one engine. Seventy-five men were employed in the-mill and 325 in the yards. The work of rebuilding will be commenced immediately, as there was SIOO,OOO insurance on the property, and Tittle trouble is expected in adjusting the toss. TFfie mill was built tet» years agm