Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-07-11
ON the Daily of July Tth.
ANOTHER FIRE.
The Old Grimes Wagon Shop
Goes Up Again in Smoke.

The old Court House corner seems
to be an unlucky place. Two wagon
factories erected there have both gone
up in smoke and ashes, the first time
communicating to, and burning the
residence Of Mrs. Reynolds and Turn
cr Hall.
Last night about half past ten
o'clock, the large four story Grimes
brick wagon factory was discovered
to BIO on fire, and in less than ten
minutes from the time the alarm was
given, the whole inside was a mass Of
flames, which were bursting ont in
the roof, at the windows and doors.
The building was about forty eight
feet square and four stories high,
with q frame, two stories high in the
rear, 40xli9. The building was oc-
cupicd by Joe Montgomery 4. IL.
lIummel and r. j. Russell, who were
doing q general repairing, black
smithing and wagon making bust
ness.
The theory is that il was case of
spontaneous combustion, as ii broke
out in the third story of the old paint
shop occupied by Grimes, before be
left here, and where everything was
saturated with paint and oil. Be that
as it may, in less than an hour it was
a mass of smouldcring ruins.
At one time the wholesale grocery
house of J. II. Merrill & Co., and
Bonlton s. Bro, on the opposite side
of the street, were in imminent dan
ger of burning, but men were sta
toned ON the roof, and by the free
use of water carried in buckets, pre-
vented the extension of the fire. The
fire company turned out rs soon as
could be expected, but owing to the
difficulty of getting the engine to the
river, could do but little good, except
to prevent the fire extending to adj
joining buildings. Besides this, sew
eral sections of hose proved worthless,
and their continued bursting would
have rendered all their efforts futile to
stop the fire had it not been isolated.
1t cannot be expected that a half doz-
en- men can pull the heavy fire engine
to the river and get il in position in
any reasonable time; and VIC again
urge upon the city authorities the
absolute necessity of purchasing and
keeping close at hand span of
strong. trusty horses, for the purpose
of hauling it to the position at which
it should be stationed, and also to or
ganize an effective force of men in the
fire, hose, hook and ladder compan-
les, and pay them for the time they
arc employed. Men cannot be OK
pccted to ''find themselves and work
for nothing but the curses of men
who know nothing of the difficulties
under which our fire department
labors.
The Congregations social, which
was in full blast, was summarily bro
ken up by the close proximity Of the
fire, and Market street, from Second
to half block above Fourth and
Third streets, ewas a perfect mass Of
people. but they were powerless TO do
anything except to save the property
in the frame shop, and prevent build
ings on the opposite side Of the street
from burning by saturatjng them
with water. al the glass on the
Third street side of the Merrill and
Boulton buildings was cracked and
ruined, and some fence belonging 10
j. III. Merrill and Mrs. IIawley was
DESTROYED. The loss on the building
is about $4,000 or $1,000. Ii was in
sured for the benefit of James Leigh
ton, who held a mortgage on it, for
$500. The property belonged to
John G. Nichols, and cost him, tc-
gether with the two lots, $ll 200.
MIR Nichols desires us to extend to
the Fire Company his thanks for their
efforts to save his property.