BAKERS STORE BURNS IN MELROSE
CLARK COUNTY HERALD
7-Aug-1883
Submitted by;
Cindy McCachern
H.L. Baker and daughter of Melrose passed through the city Friday,
on their way
to Terre Haute. Mr. Baker gave us the particulars of the
burning of his store
the preceding day. It seems that the alarm was given
between one and two
o'clock in the morning, but it was then too late to save anything,
as the whole
building was wrapped in flames. Not a single article was
taken from the
doomed building. The fire seems to have originated in
the wareroom, in which
the coal oil tank was placed. A keg of powder, which was
contained in the
stock, blew up with a terrific explosion, heard several miles
away. The store
contained a large stock of general merchandise, valued at $5000,
insured for
$3000. Mr. Baker is an honest and upright man in all his
dealings and he has
the sympathy of all in his loss.