Casey, IL Business Section Fire, Mar 1897

BLAZE AT CASEY, ILL.

BUSINESS BUILDINGS ARE BADLY DAMAGED.

FIRST FIRE IN TEN YEARS CAUSES A LOSS OF $200,000 -- FLAMES FINALLY SUBDUED BY A RAILROAD COMPANY'S FIRE ENGINE.

Casey, Ill., Mar. 1. -- The first fire that has occurred here in ten years started at 2:15 o'clock this morning in the two-story brick building occupied by the following business firms:
Fuqua & Sons, bank.
H. & B. Lee, company.
E. L. Shinkle.
D. C. Sturdevant.
R. A. Lee.
M. G. Gochenour.
M. Sanford & Sons.
Hancock & Clark, and others.
Property valued at $200,000 was destroyed. A strong wind was blowing. The flames soom spread to two adjoining blocks and the entire business portion of the town was in danger.
At 3 o'clock the mayor made an effort to communicate with Terre Haute, Ind., to ask for assistance, but the telegraph companies could not raise their Terre Haute office. The town was at the mercy of the flames, being without a fire engine.
The Casey bank building is wrecked. The vault, however, is intact. The post office is badly damaged but no mail was destroyed. The block in which the fire started was almost completely destroyed. It was the handsomest in the town. After the fire had raged for an hour a fire engine owned by the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville railway was thought of. The railroad people placed it at the mayor's services and such efficient work was done that the flames were under control at 4 o'clock.

The Fort Wayne Gazette Indiana 1897-03-02
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!