Bedford (IN) Weekly, August 16, 1901, p. 4.
Salem, Indiana, August 9-A spark at noon today from Depew's planing mill
started a fire in his carpenter shop nearby at noon that destroyed the
shops, office and shed of J. S. Depew, the residence and large warehouse of
Mrs. Fred Green and the residence, coal sheds, stables and large warehouse
of Mrs. Belle Soliday.
Reid & Peck used the Green warehouse and had it full of wheat that was
almost all destroyed. Sinclair & Smith had a branch of their undertaking
establishment in Mrs. Soliday's building. Just as this fire was under
control, a number of buildings in different parts of town were found to be
on fire from sparks carried by the high wind. S. H. Mitchell's stable with
those B. H. Young and Frank Summers were destroyed by these fires. The
losses are J. T. Depew, $1,500, no insurance; Mrs. Green, $2,000, insurance
$900; Reid & Peck, $4,000, insurance $3,000; Mrs. Soliday, $2,500, insurance
$1,300; Sinclair & Smith, $500, insurance could not be learned; Stout &
Wilson's stock, $300, with small insurance; minor losses, $300. The three
barns burned by the second fire caused an aggregate loss of about $900
making a total loss of $12,000 with a total insurance of between $5,200 and
$5,500 carried principally in the Phoenix, the Hanover and the Liverpool
London and Globe.