The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1876-09-14

1t was about ten o'clock last Mon.
day evening when one of the brief in
tervals Of rest from the patter Of fall
ing water was suddenly broken by
that ever-dreaded sound, the cry Of
.fre-single-voiced at first, but caught
up in different quarters and borne by
hurrying feet TO common center to
become discordant volume of dis
may. The first persons who reached
the scene found Vests elevator, q
two. story frame some forty feet east
of the depot, burning fercely from
foundation TO garnet Of nearly the
whole interior, the flames breaking
out both on the south and west in \
very few minutes. l: was clearly
past help, and attention was At once
turned to saving adjacent property.
At first the draft from the fire seem
ed to be little east of south, but A.
ter the opening of the east door by
Dora Vest, (he only succeeded in get
out the truck and shovels which stood
right At the door the flames and
smoke swung right over the depot
and it was at once developed where
the fight was to be. Lon Stafford
was the first man on the roof, prompt
ed only by a fence board, and he was
soon followed by Larry Cottrell and
others, who did noble work through
out in dangerous position. An old
ladder and few wooden buckets had
meanwhile been gathered somewhere,
and little water began to be thrown;
but the minutes we're passing fast,
and the we'll soaked condition Of
everything out doors alone prevented
all aid from being too late.
The arrival At this juncture Of the
much condemned chemical engine,
however, turned the tide. She was
drawn through the deep mud by but
few at the start; but tho crowd Of
helpers increased fast and on arri.
val enough took hold to snatch her
right up on the track aud pull down
to the north west corner of the build
ing. In default Of organization or
system here was great confusion and
another bad delay, (the first occurring
in getting started with her,) but At
length one hose was Strengthened and
a stream started. BY this time the
face of the east wall and especially
the cornice, was torching up in blue
flame wherever q knot furnished its
finder. The heat was intense-so
much so that no man could endure
it any length Of time. A tall cup
board from the freight room was
pushed out on the platform and be-
hind it Cassd with the nozzle opened
on the enemy. The cupboard was in
q blaze in three minutes, but in two
more the chemical fluid had brushed
the fire from the side OF depot and
immediate danger in tina, quarter was
over.
The other hose was taken on the
roof, but the cylinder failed to dis
charge, (the fault subsequently found
to be "leading'' or cumming of the
acid cartridge during long inatten-
ton so that it did not empty when
inverted) and it was in the attempt
to recharge it that the one bad acct
dent of the occasion occurred. Den
ny WEIGH, Walter Shesrer and Arvin
Baglcy we're on the engine. Neither
of them had been there before, but
all we're doing their best in an emer-
gency. They opened below to let
off the residue of gas, but did not
give time enough to prevent the
blowing out Of the heavy cap after it
was nearly unscrewed. Baglev was
directly over it and was struck on
the nose, knocking him over back
ward SO that he fell with fearful
force, striking the edge of the depot
platform just at the base of his skull.
He was picked up insensible, but
soon recovered and attempted with
assistance to walk home, not realizing
that he was hurt except by the blow
in the face, which was really = triAe
compared with the other. At Viii.
helms cot WAS borrowed and be
was carried home, where an hours
hard work was required to bring him
out of the sinking chill produced BY
the shock.
While all this was transpiring the
engines buckets and ladders had beer