The Breckenridge News – 16 Aug 1893
Cloverport, KY
FIRE! FIRE!
Derby, Ind., Is Swiped From The Face Of The Earth.
Twenty Houses, With Their Contents, Go Up In Flames
And People Are Rendered Homeless and Penniless
Fire in the County
The most destructive fire that ever occurred in this section of country visited Derby, Indiana, last Tuesday evening. Twenty houses in all were destroyed by the dread monster and many families were rendered homeless. Every business house in the town was distroyed, together with almost their entire stocks.
Derby is situated in a rugged spot on the Ohio river, about twenty miles east of this city. It is a small place probably three or four hundred inhabitants, but has always been known as a splendid business point.
The fire is known to be of incendiary origin. On Monday the rear of Harrison Mitchell’s residence was set on fire, but fortunately the fire was discovered and extinguished. Fragments of kindling were there, which conclusively proved that some one had set it on fire. The next day at nearly the same time, three o’clock, p.m., fire broke out in H.C. Hargis’ stable. Every cistern in town was dry and water could not be procured in time to stop the conflagration. The houses huddled close together and the flames rapidly leaped from one to the other and could not be stopped till the entire business portion of the little town was completely distroyed. Every business house was consumed and the next day you could not buy a pocket handkerchief where the day before thousands of dollar’s worth of goods were for sale. The fire spread so rapidly and was so hot that scarcely a thing was saved. Goods and furniture that was carried out took fire and burned in the streets.
The losses and insurance are about as followed:
H.C. Hargis, stable, store, residence and one horse, $10,000, insurance $4,300.
Lide Carr, saloon $1,500, no insurance.
Emmett Richardson, business house and residence, $1,500, insurance $659.
James L. Higdon, blacksmith shop, $400, no insurance.
Sam Hargis, barn $300, no insurance.
Wm Dodd, residence, $400, no insurance.
W.H. Mitchell, barn, $300, no insurance.
John McGinty, Twonship Trustee, residence, office and school supplies, $700, no insurance.
Albert Hargis, livery stable $500, no insurance.
Chas. Hargis, saloon and residence $3,000, insurance $1,200.
J.W. Davis, hotel $2,000, insurance $600.
Mogan Bros. two business houses and residence $18,000, insurance $6,100.
J.E. Mogan, dwelling occupied by Mat Cummingham $800, no insurance. Cunningham’s loss on furniture, $400.
S.A. Mitchell. business house, residence and out buildings, $2,500, insurance $800.
J.H. Mogan residence $350, insurance $100.
Mrs. Anderson, Alvin Biddle and Will McCoy lost nearly all their house hold goods.
During the fire people became panic stricken. Women and children were screaming and crying, and men seemed to lose their heads. A team ran off and destroyed a wagon while the fire was in progress, and one man drove into town with a load of staves, unhitched his oxen from the wagon and drove them to the river. The wagon and staves took fire and were consumed in the street. The fire was so hot that wooden culverts across the streets were burned out of the earth. Hogs were consumed in pens and chicken yards perished by the dozen. Where once stood the picturesque little village there remains now nothing but chimneys and blackened, post like shad trees.
The post office is opened up in the M.E. Church, and the people who were rendered homeless are dependent upon the charity of neighbors for shelter.
Twenty house in all were destroyed and about twelve remain.
LATER
Isaac Sipes was arrested last Saturday, accused of having set fire to the town. He was seen leaving the premises just before the fire was discovered in Hargis’ barn, and the testimony in his examining trail, which was held Saturday was to the effect that he had frequently treatened the town. He was held in default of a $1,000 bond to appear at the next term of Circuit Court, and was lodged in the Perry county jail at Cannelton, the same day.