The New York Herald

GREAT DESTRUCTION OF HIGH WINES,
Distillery Destroyed near Chicago: Loss About $175,000.

[From the Chicago Tribune, July 1.]

A destructive conflagration occurred in the town of Lyons yesterday, involving a loss of nearly $175,000. Haas & Powell's stock sheds, stable, distillery and bonded warehouse were destroyed. Shortly after twelve o'clock the grass on the prairie surrounding the buildings took fire, from some unknown cause, and ignited the stock sheds. The workmen at once endeavored to stay the progress of the fire by throwing manure on the burning grass, water in sufficient quantity not being obtainable. Their efforts were futile, however, and as the wind changed to the south the adjacent property was in danger. The men then turned their attention to removing the barrels of highwines in the bonded warehouse, there being 2,204 on hand. During the time expended in rolling barrels out upon the prairie a sufficient distance away to avoid them being set on fire the flames spread rapidly, and soon had the stock sheds completely enveloped, and the stable, about eighty feet away, was in danger. The latter caught fire in a short time, as did the distillery and bonded warehouse. Owing to the intense heat the men were obliged to stop rolling the barrels out and over 1,500 were left in the building.

The beer and ale brewery, also belonging to Messrs. Haas & Powell, about 500 feet distant from the burning buildings, was threatened with destruction, but the workmen saved it. The bridge across the Desplaines river caught fire several times, and it was only by tearing up a portion of it that it escaped. All the buildings first mentioned, with their contents, were destroyed. The stock sheds, which were capable of accommodating between 500 and 600 head of cattle, were worth about $2,500. There was no insurance upon them.

The distillery was a large three story frame building. It contained about $25,000 worth of machinery, all of which was rendered valueless. The building was worth about $10,000 and was insured for $5,000. The machinery was insured for $10,000. The following companies had risks on one or the other:—Commercial, Firemen's, State Fire, State Fire of Cleveland, State, Teutonia of Cleveland, Aurora, German of Cleveland, Lumberman's.

The bonded warehouse was a long, one story frame building, worth $3,000. It was not insured. The highwines destroyed were worth about $150,000 and are insured in the following Eastern companies:-
Independent, of Boston $2,500
North American, of New York 500
New England, of Boston
National, of Boston
Fulton, of New York.
Albany City
Firemen's Fund, of California.
Connecticut Fire 500
Narragansett, of Providence 500
Irving, of New York 600
Springfield 500
Hartford 600
Home, of New Haven 500
Merchants, of Hartford 500
Home, of New York
Manhattan
Citizens, of New York 5,000
Merchants and Mechanics 3,000
Washington, of Providence 4,000
Merchants, of Providence 500
National, of New York
Excelsior, of New York 3,000
Phenix, of Brooklyn 2,000
Other companies 41,500
Total $117,000

The total loss on buildings, machinery and highwines will not be far from $170,000, while the insurance is but $132,000.