St. Louis (MO) Republic, January 14, 1896, p. 1. NOTE: Dollars amounts
were difficult to read.
BIG FIRE AT SEYMOUR, IND.
The Water Supply Gave Out and the Entire Town Was Threatened with
Destruction
[Special to The Republic]
Seymour, Ind., Jan. 13-The most disastrous conflagration that has ever
visited this city broke out in the Hough block at 9:30 o'clock tonight,
which is occupied by the dry goods store of C. J. Atkinson & Co., and the
clothing store of Shonfield Bros. The exact cause of the fire is not known,
but in a few minutes the flames were beyond the control of the fire company.
The entire building and stocks were totally destroyed.
Just as the firemen began to gain control of the flames, the water in the
standpipe gave out. For 15 minutes no water was running through the hose,
and not until a man on horseback was dispatched to the water station was the
pressure renewed. At 11 PM the fire is still raging and the First National
Bank., W. H. Wente's shoe store, the Gold Mine clothing Store, A. Straus &
Co. proprietors, and the Seymour Pants Factory are more or less damaged.
All the losses cannot be obtained, but they will probably reached $80,000,
with partial insurance. Here are some: Mrs. A. M. Hough, $10,000 on
building; E. Goudy, $10,000 on building; C. J. Atkinson, $8,000 on stock;
Shonfield, $15,000 on stock; W. H. Wentes, $5,000 on stock; J. T. Arbuckle,
lawyer, $500 on office; O. H. Montgomery, $4,000 on office. Other losses
cannot be obtained.