Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-05-09


day evening, at about lalf past eight
o'clock, the outbuildlng Of the School
House was discovered on fire.
When first seen, the flames were Just
breaking through the roof, at the
south end. Strenuous efforts were
made to extinguish the flames but
without avail. The building was to-
tally consumed. Besides containing
the closets for the school, tho build.
ing was the wood house, and con.
tanned at the time Of the fire, some
thing over fifteen cords of wood, well
seasoned, and cut Tor use. The
building did not stand over thirty
feet from the School House, and the
wind was from the south east, and, as
might be supposed, the latter build.
ing was IN imminent danger Of being
lost, also. The roof was kept well
watered, however, and the Babcock
Fire Extinguishers prevented the fro
catching upon the cornice or window
castings There were several times
when it looked as if the School build
ing must take fire, despite all efforts
to prevent it. The active efforts of
the water carriers and the efficiency
of the Babcocks, prevented isueh
calamity. The four western WIN
dows on the south side Of the school
blilding which were most exposed to
the heat were nearly ruined, hardly
q light of glass in them remaining
unbroken,. or uncracked. The cor
nice and caselngs were badly burned.
Mr.. L. Clark, President Of the
School Board, employed some men
to remain on the ground all night SO
as to prevent the fire doing any dam
age during the night,-as the wind
was to!crably strong, there was
danger of the Goals and brands being
carried to other buildings or fences.
No such occurrence took place, how.
ever. On Sunday morning, the flames
were spent, but the woodpile was a
mass Of live Goals. Messrs. Stiger
and S:errett, whose residences are in
the immediate neighborhood, carried
water and extinguished the fire, as
the wind that morning had risen to a
gale. The fire itself a calamity, yet
good management prevented its
spread.
What caused the FIRE This ques-
ton, often asked, cannot be authen,t-
cally answered. There is little doubt,
however, that the fire was set by
some one, but whether carelcssly or
intentionally, cannot be known
Some one started the story that ash
es from the school house were habit
ually kept in the wood house. This.
we have the best authority for say.
ing, is untrue. Besides, there was
no fire in the school house OH Fri
day, at all, and on Saturday morning,
Mr.. Sterrett, the Principal, emptied
the stove OF ashes for his own leach,
and says that the stoves could not
have been emptied for over week pre-
viously, SIS they were very full OF
ashes. Mr.. Stcrrett also says that
when he arrived there, land he was
ono of the first to arrive) the fire had
not reached the department. used ior
woodruff was then confined to tho
closets. We have heard no reason
gwen why any suspicion need be
entertained that the fire was set in
tentionally, and We confess that there
has been advanced no satisfactory
accounting OF any way it could con-
veniently have been set accidentally.
The actual loss cannot be very
heavy, probably less than two hun
dred dollars. All damage to the
school building is covered by in
surance and will be recovered. 1t
was the merest oversight, and yet
not culpably SO, that the outbuilJing
was not included in the insurance
policy.