Linn County KS Archives News.....La Cygne Fire; Part 1 of 2. February 8, 1878
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Jim Laird jlaird@bellsouth.net July 6, 2007, 11:37 am

The La Cygne Weekly Journal February 8, 1878
Linn County
Saturday
February 8, 1878

La Cygne Fire; Part 1 of 2.

The Devouring Element.
A Fire Catches in the Law Office of Mr. John S. Bentley, Quickly Destroying It.
Rapidly Runs South and Burns W.E. Piper's Gun Store, the Law Office of Selwyn
Douglas, and the Post Office.
The Diamond Block in Ruins.

Thursday Night's Fire.
At about 11:15 o'clock on Thursday night, John ANDERSON, the watchman,
discovered a fire in the office of Mr. John S. BENTLEY, attorney at law, and
immediately gave the alarm, awakening a number of sleepers in the vicinity, who
soon swelled the cry. Soon afterwards the fire bell rang and the engineers of
two locomotives standing on the Gulf track, at the depot, sounded the whistles
of their iron horses loud and long. 

Bentley's Office
was the northern one story room of the Diamond Block, a wooden building about a
hundred feet long, from twenty to thirty or more feet wide in places, and
tapering nearly to a point in the south. About half the building was two stories
high, the remainder only one. Mr Brantley had had no fire in his office during
the day or evening, and 

How The Fire Orginated
can only be surmised. Mr. W.E. MOORE, cashier of the La Cygne Exchange Bank, the
corporation owning the building, believes the conflagration to be the work of an
incendiary, and his opinion is generally concided with.

When The Flames Were Discovered
Anderson says two pails of water would have saved the block if he had had them
and could have gotten into the room and poured the liquid on the flames.

At It Was
in a few moments the devouring element was leaping through the two north windows
and eating everything in its reach. No one could save a volume of Mr. Bentley's
valuable library or any of his legal papers. 

The Fireman
of La Cygne, Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, were out as soon as possible, under
command of John LINDSAY, assistant foreman, but against the progress of the fire
they saw they could make but little headway and devoted the first few minutes to
saving what little property they thought in danger in the immediate vicinity of
the fire. Their next step was to throw what water they could on the fire from
extinguishers and pails. Besides the fireman there was a host of citizens at work.

The Door of the Postoffice
was unlocked soon after the fire started, by Ed. C. LANE, of the Journal, and
willing, honest hands assisted in getting the mail and fixtures of the office to
safe quarters. Among the gallant fellows here were Dr. George T. BROWN, T.C.
THORP, Charley HALL, J.W. SMITH, Col. J.D. SNODDY, A.W. CAMAN and I. GLUCKLICH.
They took hold with a will. It is thought nothing of value beloning to the
postoffice was lost. All the records, mail, receipts, etc., are thought to be
safe. The boxes, desks, tables, and furniture, with the exception of a stove,
was gotten out with but little damage. A.R. CARY's little dog, "Dime," was in
the postoffice, and "Fred" succeeded in getting him out only to have him run
into the building again and he burned to death--poor little creature! Mrs.
Kenea's guitar was among the lost property. 
 

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