McLean County IL Articles

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File contributed to the McLean County ILGenWeb Project

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File Submitted by: Ortiz
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A MIDNIGHT FIRE.

At an early hour Tuesday morning Danvers was again visited by a fire, which was not only destructive 
but for a time threatened the entire business portion of the town. At 1:30 o'clock a. m. the building 
occupied by TJ Twining, as a bakery, was discovered on fire. Soon after the ringing of the fire alarm, 
a stream of water was playing upon the burning building but owing to the high southwest wind, the flames 
gained, rapidly and it was evident that the livery barns, of Isaac Wilson, adjoining would have to go. 
The horses and vehicles were removed from the barns and in a few minutes the three buildings were a 
seething mass of flames. So intense was the heat that the paint on the buildings across the street was 
blistered and the windows broken.

At one time the building occupied by Dr. W. A. Coss was ablaze and but for the heroic efforts of Mr. Jacob Morrison, 
the whole business portion would have fallen a prey to the devouring element. At a critical point, when every one else had 
fled, Mr. Morrison stood with the hose and put out the fire on the Coss building thereby saving the entire block. The 
snow on the ground prevented a general conflagration and although the buildings near by caught fire many times, by 
prompt action they were extinguished.

The bakery building and contents and also the livery barns were a total loss. Mr. Twining had $1500 insurance on stock 
but there was no insurance on any of the buildings. The buildings were owned by Joseph Wilson. The origin of the fire is not 
known, but it is supposed to have started in the brick oven at the bakery. Taking everything into consideration, the fire 
was a close call for Danvers.