Quincy, IL Fires, Feb 1876

Fire

At 10 o’clock this morning the officials in the circuit clerk’s office in the courthouse discovered flames issuing from the rear of the roof of the Golden Gate Building, just south of the courthouse. The alarm was immediately given which brought the entire Fire Department to the scene in a remarkably short period of time. An examination of the building showed that the chimney situated in the rear of the building was on fire; and, but for the prompt alarm a serious conflagration might have resulted. The flames were soon subdued and the engines sent to their quarters.

The second alarm, which was sounded at noon, was caused by the burning of a partition in a double frame dwelling house 178 and 180 North Sixth Street, owned by Henry Meiser and occupied by B. Bernard and family and Mrs. Houghteling, the former occupying the south half and the latter the north. A defective flue in the kitchen chimney caused the partition between the two dwellings to become heated and finally ignited. A dense smoke issued from the building, and at first the fire was thought to be quite extensive. The engines were on hand but their services were not required, as the flames were extinguished without any loss either to the owner of the building or its occupants.

A third fire occurred this afternoon in the basement of Joseph & Nelke’s dry goods store, but it was extinguished without calling out the department.

Quincy Whig, Quincy, IL 1 Feb 1876

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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!