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factory. In addition to all its brick buildings, machinery and stock, it loses 800,000 feet of
hardwood lumber which when once on fire furnished excellent fuel. The foundry
building was partly stored with chairs belonging to the Chair company, and these were all
burned. In all the other houses burned, the contents were as a rule saved because the
occupants had plenty of time to take out their household goods. The Chair company
carried 90 per cent insurance on its property and it was therefore well protected, but the
foundry was only insured for $4,500, while all the smaller buildings destroyed were
insured for about one-half their value. The owners therefore will suffer considerable by
the fire losses. Among the property threatened was the tannery of Mayor Mueller, the
Wilson house, and the post office, flames burning all around these buildings.
Considerable dockage along the slip that connects with the harbor and the chair factory
also was burned. The docks are the property of the Chair company.
The fire's terrible devastation. Notice the tall Chair Company
smoke stack on the left of the photo.