FIRE AT DYERSVILLE-Mr. August Muehe 1884

MUEHE

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 5/18/2016 at 11:14:35

The Dubuque Herald – Jan. 5, 1884
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FIRE AT DYERSVILLE
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The Store and Warehouse of August
Muehe Totally Destroyed Last
Night – Loss $10,000
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At half past seven o’clock last evening a disastrous fire broke out in Dyersville, this county, an about an hour later word received in this city that the entire business portion of the town was in danger of being destroyed. The conflagration was not as bad as first reported, but at the same time was a very disastrous one. The fire started in the hardware store of Mr. August Muehe at half past seven o’clock, and was caused by a defective flue. A heavy gale was blowing from the northwest at the time, and in a very few minutes the entire roof and upper story of the large brick building was one mass of flames. The store is situated on the west side of the river, and was a two story building. The structure was burnt to the ground, and the citizens were powerless to stop the fire, which communicated to two frame warehouses belonging to Mr. Muehe, adjoining the store. For a time it seemed as if the entire block would be burnt, but the citizens endured the terrible cold, and by almost super human efforts seemed in tearing down a frame building adjoining the fire and thus stopped the progress of the flames. The hand engine and fire apparatus were brought into service but owing to the extreme cold were rendered useless. The loss to Mr. Muehe will exceed $10,000, but the exact figure could not be determined last night. The loss is partially covered by insurance. The second story of the hardware store was occupied by Mr. Muehe’s son John and family as a residence but they lost nearly all their furniture and household effects. The citizens endured the terrible cold, the thermometer being down to 26 degrees below zero, but for their prompt action in tearing down the frame structures the fire would have been a much more disastrous one. A large number were badly nipped by the frost, ears, noses, hands, and toes were frozen, and some of the unfortunate ones may suffer severely.