The Columbus journal., 1879-01-15
FIRE! FIRE!!
krause's Hardware Store and VIM.
Lambs Grocery Burned to
the Ground.
All Praise to the Fire Department and
a still air for Confining the Flames.

alarm OF nre was gwen, ana q great
many of the citizens of Columbus
were wakened from their slumbers
TO find that the fire was at work on
the hardware store of e. III. Krause
& Sons and the grocery store OF
VIM. Lamb adjoining it on the south,
both of them south of Bouesteers
two-story brick building on the
corner of Nebraska Avenue and 18th
street. west side. There was but a
breath of wind, so that the fire de-
partment was able to keep it in
check. George Fairchid and Otta
Baker, who slept at Arnold's jewel
ry store on the opposite side of the
street, and who went to bed at 70
minutes after twelve, were awaken
ed by the light at five minutes after
one. just at that time John Nc
Mahon, night watchman, rushed
around the bank corner, crying
Sire" He says that he first noticed
the light when at Grcisen's, on 1lth
street, ana thinks that the Are must
have originated in the back room OF
the Krause building, as he had pass
ed it only a few minutes before, and
had noticed nothing cut Of the way.
1t was but a few minutes after
citizens and the fire department
reached the spot when the walls OF
the Krause building gave way and
the Lamb building was past saving.
Nothing was taken out of the hard
ware store, but a few things were
saved out of the grocery, the safe
being carried into the street I'M
scathed by the fire. In a few min
utes both buildings were burned
down, and the summer kitchen at
tached to the BOnesteel building,
and the small frame west belonging
to E. A. Gerard were on fire. The
former was torn down and the lat
ter was flooded with water, and all
but the rear end saved. Both fire
companies were promptly on hand
and worked like beavers, under the
general supervision of r. Ii. Henry,
chief of the department, who re-
ceives unbounded praise for his
management. He was ably assisted
by George Clother, foreman Of the
Hook 4 Ladder CO., and his first
assistant Herman Oehlrich, and Jno.
j. Rickly, lst assistant foreman O f
the Engine Co., who took charge in
the absence OF the foreman, and
likewise by George Spooner.
LOSSES.
The hardware store building be-
longed TO Will. III. Winterbotham,
and was insured for $1,000. The
stock Of hardware, owned by G.. III.
Krause & Sons, estimated to be
worth $4,000, was insured to the
amount of $1,000, in the Hartford,
Franklin, Springfield and Home
companies.
Mr.. Lamb had an insurance of
$1,000. His stock is variously esti-
mated from $500 to $4,000.
Rev. Sherman, whose family oc-
cupy the upper story of the Bone
steel building, lost about fifty dol
lars worth of goods that were stored
in the summer kitchen.
The south wall of the Bonesteel
building is cracked in several places.
The fire was most admirably
haDdled or it would have made sad
havoc in that part of town--the
large frame hotel of Clother's being
just south of the fire. Indeed il was
in imminent danger at one time,
some of the shingles on the roof
being on fire. 1t was exceedingly
fortunate that there was no wind, as
in that case, with the headway the
fire had when first seen, nothing
would have prevented a wide fire.
swath through the very heart and
business portion of the city.
INCIDENTS OF THE FIRE.
Cinders were strewn in every di-
rection, aud small hay-stack in
the rear of L. e. Ryan's grocery on
llth street, south of the r. r. track,
was set on fire, but was Immediate
ly put out by Thomas Coffey.
There were powder cans in both
stores, and cartridges, besides, in
the hardware store, all of which
exploded at intervals, adding to the
interest and danger of the occasion.
The shock Of the explosions was
sufficient to break glass OH the op-
posite side of the street, and loud
enough 10 be heard at L. M. Spar
hawks, three miles away.
Krause's safe { a Diebold was
opened, after being "as red as a
cherry" having fallen into the cel-
lar, and the contents were intact
steamed little, the backs of the
ledgers and day books warped
somewhat, but the contents all right,
and the money, some two hundred
dollars, in prime condition.
John j. Rickly had his back bad
ly wrenched, and in removing
Krause's safe he mashed the thumb
of his right hand, so that the nail
had TO be pulled off.
Herman Oehlrich had his left