Bio: Lindsay, Hon. F. D. (8 April 1884)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Lindsay, Cheney

----Sources: Neillsville Times (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 8 April 1884

THE RESIDENCE OF HON. F. D. LINDSAY BURNED TO THE GROUND.

(From the Times Extra)

Neillsville, Wis., April 3, 1884. At about half past twelve o’clock noon today the residence of Hon. Mayor Lindsay was burned. The fire is supposed to have originated from the furnace in the basement.

The fire was first discovered by Mr. Lindsay who found the ceiling in the cellar on fire over the furnace. The alarm was at once given, but it was perhaps ten minutes before it became known in the center of the city so that a crowd could gather. The fire was found to be all over the basement. In very few minutes the smoke was all over the house. At first but little effort was made to save the building, as it was through useless, but the whole crowd began to carry the furniture out, pitching it through doors and from the windows in the upper story. In twenty minutes the furniture was all removed and a apart of the crowd then turned their attention to trying to save the building as the flames had not yet burst forth. But their efforts were useless for the whole of the ceiling of the basement was on fire. The fire spread from basement to garret by passing between the walls, while the rooms of the first and second floors were still free from flames, soon the roof was in flames. All hope of saving the building was now given up and attention was turned to removing such of the furniture as remained in the yard to places of safety, while a number of men removed the fences and out buildings and attempted to move the woodshed, but this they could not do.

The bards across the street were now wet down as were also the piles of lumber on the east side of the house.

At fifteen minutes past one, the chimneys in the main part fell and at half past one nothing remained standing, but the studding and a small portion of the west end of the main part.

There were probably over a thousand spectators.

The building was insured in Cheney’s agency at Black River Falls for $1,500. Value of the building about $3,000. The insurance on the furniture is not known.

The damage done to the furniture in removing was perhaps $400 or $500.

LATER - The insurance is as follows: On house, $1,500; furniture and fixtures, $1,500; piano, $400; clothing, $200; pictures, $100; all in the Continental, with E. D. Cheney, Black River Falls. There was no insurance on provisions, but the loss on the house over the insurance is about $1,500. Mr. Lindsay has not yet decided whether to rebuild this summer or not. Nor is it known whether he will build on the old site or on the farm when he does build. The family has taken rooms in the residence of Mr. Henry Myers for the present. Mr. Ralph Lindsay has taken board at the Reddan House.

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