Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1897 — HUNDRED HOMES BURN. [ARTICLE]

HUNDRED HOMES BURN.

Five Hundred Unfortunate Persona Left AVithout Shelter. At Austin, Pa., fire broke out Monday afternoon at 2:43 in AVeed's Jivery barn in Turner street. In five hours’ time every building in town but five was burned to the ground. Turner street was the principal residence street of the town, and probably 500 people are homeless. The life was started by a load of hay being run into a gas jet. In all, about 100 buildings were burned, mostly residences, among the losses being the Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church, opera house, Welch's meat market, Hellwig's drug store, Gallup's livery and AVeed’s livery. The loss is placed by insurance experts at from $150,000 to $200,000. The town was practically without water supply, the mill pond on which it depended for water for lighting fires having been drained while undergoing repairs.