The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1882-03-09
FURIOUS FLAMES! !!
Union Block and Several Other Build
ings Consumed By Fire
This Morning.
Supposed 10 BE the Act of an Incen.
diary-LOss Estimated at $4,000.

tleman guest at the Merchants hotel occu-
pying the southeast corner room, was
awakened by a glare of light upon the
walls Of his room on looking out the win
dow he saw fire bursting from Corson' s
! saloon building. He gave the alarm to
Lou Mann the night porter, who rushed
out doors across the square yelling fire
1t had gained such headway before peo-
pie gathered that the smoke and flames
had filled the stores of Madole & Hmkley,
Thompson & Co, Woerz, and Tom Hood
that no articles of any account could be
saved
Without head, no hook and ladder or
bucket company or organization of any
kind to come to the management it was
appalling to the frightened citizens to see
the ravages of the fire iend, increasing
without any apparent means of checking
it. But cool heads soon brought the will
ling hands to work and concert of action.
A rope was procured and strong arms
manned it and tie razure of Thorson &,
Cos. real estate office stopped the prog
ress of the fire eastward
The bank building of Gale & Ward,
Dr. Southard's s residence, the ADVOCATE
Office. Bedford Hall and other buildings
on Main street were watched and drench-
ed with water thrown from buckets, and
although scorched by the intense heat so
that the pitch in the wood work fried and
sizzled, no damage was done to them.
The clnders and flying brands borne by the
east wind bid fair at one time to sweep the
whole town west and south of Fifth and
Main street, and Just at the most exciting
moment when hope was nearly gone of
saving these buildings the wind changed
to the north and the original fire being re-
duced in its fcrceness, the danger was
past. Pattee' s house Immediately in the
rear Of and south of the block was saved
by hard and rapid work, and the fire was
stopped on the south with the building of
Mrs. jenkins adjoining Dahl's Hall.
The entire Union block was burned,
comprising the drug store Of W. Hood,
the dry goods store of Madole & Hinkley,
the hardware establishment of T. P.
Thompson e. Co., the saloon of W. S.
Corson, the furniture store of H. Woerz.
No stock Of any amount was saved out of
these establishments, total loss the whole
of them, save what insurance that may
have been on them Aside from the
Union block the clothing store of T. j.
Fosdick was burned, about three tourths
Of his stock was saved-and before the
men had ceased laboring he had rented
the unfinished building of Dr. Southards'
on Fifth St, and commenced moving his
goods at once. The real estate office of
L. Thorson Il Go. was torn down to pre-
vent the FIRE spreading eastward The
taylor shop with contents, of Mr.. Hood,
in the rear of Tom Hoods drug store,
Was burned, also j. L. Dahl's store build
ing, and the building of Mrs. jenkins.
In all, the number of buildings destroyed,
.or places Of business, including the block,
was ten.
And SO the fine and attractive row of
buildings that adorned the south side of
the Court House square is now in ashes,
and as we we write this at a. m. we can
see from our bedroom window the sicken-
ing glare and Pickering blaze that emf
mates from the slowly expiring embers of
what last night was an Illuminated attrac-
ton, By the checrfully lighted fronts dis
played. Tom Hood had left last evening
via Sioux Falls for visit to Huron, and
Tommy Thompson had but two hours be-
fore returned from his trip east. Sad
news for Tom to hear, and a dishearten-
ing welcome and sight for Thompson to be
greeted with
We never witnessed fire, among SO
numerous places before where it was i'm
possible to save so little of the effects. Its
spread was SO rapid, the heat so intense,
and the buildings all so suddenly filed
with smoke that the only thing that
could be done acas done to check it's prog
ress and save buildings, that the interven-
ton Of streets and hard work succeeded in
doing. Let this be warning to our bus
mess men and citizens to insure and also
for the city to provide for the extinction
of fire. Either procure an engine, or or
ganizc fire, bucket or hook and ladder
company, perfect an organization of some
kind 50 that there will be head, COM
pany of competent men to manage and
CONTROL and provide against future contin-
gencles.
At daylight the square front of the court
house presented sorry spectacle, relics of
broken glassware, chairs furniture, the
outfit of Lewis & House moved out en-
tire, the furniture and materials of the
restaurant of Mr.. Soule,ss books, desks and
furniture of Taylor & Russell, all were pill
ed up proniscously and guarded by some
watchful eye; f. NJ. Miles also had every
thing removed. Any saving is gratifying,
but sad for many of the business men who
have seen everything licked up and extin-
guished by the mad uncomfortable flames,
a convenient and necessary servant, but
a cruel and unrelenting master
Everybody worked with will, and the
ladies deserve especial attention. Among
the ladies who assisted in removing articles
to places of safety, carrying and pumping
water we saw Mrs. Russell, Maggie Bal
ley, Mrs. Gale, Miss Pendexter, Misses
Carrie and Hattie Taylor, Mrs. Soule,
Mrs. Wallace, and several others were
equally active whose names we did not
learn Fortunately but one accident of
any account happened. Ed Shufelt while
assisting in removing Mr. Soules goods,
fell through an open stairway breaking,
two of his ribs, but he kept at work just
the same.
Messrs. Madole, Thompson, Corson,
Woerz, and Hood will probably rebuild at
once
Taylor 4 Russell represent companies
that were carrying $2l 200 in the build
mos that ,vere burned and TborSop g. N