FURY OF THE FLAMES-Clinton Lumber Mill-1877

LAMB, BYNE

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 5/9/2016 at 11:20:01

Dubuque Herald –Jan. 5, 1877

FURY OF THE FLAMES
~
Another Clinton Lumber Mill
Destroyed by Fire
~
Loss Over $40,000
With No Insurance
~
The Herald has account of another destructive fire in our sister city of Clinton. About five o’clock on Thursday morning Lamb-Byne Company’s upper mill was discovered in flames. At about the same time the watchman seemed to discover the fire, and soon afterwards, as the flame burst through the roof, the fact of the fire became known to the railway men and the alarm was sounded by the by the Northwestern switch engines. The alarm was also given at the water works, and the Clinton fire department turned out, although the fire was over a mile beyond the furthermost hydrant and the water work could be of no service.

The flames spread rapidly, and by half past five o’clock, the whole mill was enveloped, while but a few persons had arrived at the scene. As the fire had been raging fiercely in the engine and boiler rooms from the first, the mill pumps could not be used, as sole dependence for the water was placed on the river, the first accessible water being ten rods distance. Finally a line of buckets was formed from the holes cut in the ice clear around the fire, and by a quarter past six o’clock at least fifty buckets were rapidly passing along the line, the water being used simply to check the progress of the flames. At the same time others were removing lumber and cutting away runaways to prevent the spreading of the fire, which was thus brought under subjection about seven o’clock. The work was kept up for an hour longer, however, and the fire was confined to the mill and as few piles of lumber went directly to the office. The mill was totally consumed, together with all the machinery, engines, boilers, saws, planers, etc. and 50,000 feet of dressed flooring and other dry lumber. The total loss is estimated to be fully $40,000. There was not a dollar of insurance on the mill, and only $40,000 insurance on the entire lumber yard, so that the salvage in this direction, for the lumber burned, will be a small amount.

The steam fire engine was taken to the scene of the fire, arriving there about six o’clock, and then the discovery was made that the water in some of the flues was frozen, and the belief also obtained ground that one of the flues had burst. Added to this was the fact that no one was present to run the engine, so it stood in the roadway nearby a useless piece of furniture, whom, with proper arrangements, it might have done good service. Perhaps no one is to blame for this state of facts, but it seems as though this steam engine, as long as it remains the property of the city, might at least be kept ready for service in such emergencies as this fire, where other extinguishing apparatus is not available.

About half past seven o’clock the Lyons hand engine, resolute with a good working crew, arrived on a flat car, kindly furnished by the Northwestern officials, and this engine with the Clinton hose laid by Lafayette Company, No. 4, did excellent service in putting out the raging flames.

As the origin of the fire, it remains a complete mystery. No fire had been used in or about the mill for several days, except a fire used by some workmen who were painting the boilers yesterday, and was extinguished long before dark, so when the watchman arrived in the evening the stove was quite cold. No possible object could have existed incendiarism, and such a suspension has not yet been entertained by the proprietors. The mill that was burned, though covering the smallest area of ground, was the larger of the two and contained the planer and other valuable machinery. The wind was almost calm, to which fortunate circumstances is due the case with which the fire was held in check after discovery.