Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-10-10
FIRE. FIREii FIRElli
A Qnintette Of Occurrences in Which the
Fiend Makes q Desperate Effort
to Get In its Work.

L
A oqintette Of Occurrences in Which tho
| Fiend Makes Desperate Effort
to Get In Its Work.
Sunday afternoon, about o'clock, for
the first time in months. fire alarm
was sounded by the rapid tapping of the
fire bell which swings from III. A. Al
bien's store building. A volume of
smoke pouring from the roof Of the
building occupied by ]. F. Wright, told
the story, and very short time after the
alarm was given crowd of men were
on the scene and hard at work. The
roof of the building in the neighborhood
Of the chimney was burning briskly
when discovered, and though the flames
had gained pretty good headway. IL only
took about five minutes for plenty OF
water and the determined efforts Of the
crowd to master them. The fire caught
from defective fue, and it will take
$40 or $50 to cover the damage. The
Hook and Ladder company was on
hand, but the bucket brigade was all
that was required. II was close call.
Ten minutes later the fire would have
been beyond control, and as the build
ing is the centre of wooden row, every
building in the block would have been
endangered and probably destroyed.
Monday evening Mrs. +. B. Tuthill Of
this city, while engaged in the perfor-
nance of her household duties accident.
ally overturned lighted lamp. The
oil from the bowl ran out onto'the floor
and was ignited, burning briskly. Mrs
Tuthill snatched the still burning lamp
from the floor and running TO the door
hurled it outside. Just as it left her
hands it exploded. scattering the burn
ing oil in all directions, part Of it falling
on her hands, burning them severely.
The lady, however, considers herself
very fortunate. for had she been an
instant later tho result would have
proven disastrous to life and property "a
MS. Tubbs. who resides with his
family in the western part Of the city,
had yet more serious experience Tues.
day morning. He arose before day
light Tuesday. and descending from the
sleeping apartment in the second story
of his residence, built rousing fire in
the kitchen stove. A few minutes later
he was startled by scream from his
wife, who he had lett asleep, and return
ing to the bedroom found it filed with
smoke, ono of the walls mass of fire.
The pipe from the kitchen stove passes
through the floor of the bedroom and
up to the chimney, and it seems that on
the night previous some articles Of cloth
ing had been dropped against the pipe,
and were lying there when the fire was
built below. The heat from the pine
ignited the clothing and from them the
| fire communicated with the wearing APP
parel Of the family which hung on
hooks along the wall. Mr.. Tubbs tore
the clothing from the wall and tramped
out the fire on the floor with his feet, ex-
tinguishing it with what must have been
superhuman efforts. His wife and chill
dren had been choked and awakened by
the smoke. They were dazed and be-
wildered, and but for the timely arrival
of the husband and father would have
met dreadful fate. Mr.. Tubbs' hands
are badly burned, rendering him almost
helpless. The loss in clothing. and dam
age to the room will amount to over
$4,000.
Wednesday noon, at the house offs.
n. Fitch, on Custer Avenue, fire caught
from the kitchen stove to line Of
clothing that hung above 1t. A young
woman in the employ of Mrs. Fitch en-
tered the room in time to see the cloth
ing in flames and the wall against which
they hung rapidly kindling. Prompt
and profuse application Of water quench-
ed the flames. The damage is slight.
One afternoon in the early part of the
week workmen on the school house dis
covered fire in the belfry. 1t had made
no headway and was quickly extinguish-
ed. 1t is supposed TO have originated
from matches dropped by some Of the
men and afterward stepped on.
Inasmuch as there had not been even
an alarm Of fire in Custer for months
past these incidents, all occurring with
in a week have attracted a considerable
amount of attention and been the cause
of no little comment. In each case il
seems as il the efforts of the FIRE fend
had been opposed by some other than
human forces, for in any Of them mo-
ments delay would have resulted in loss
Of life, destruction of valuable property,
or both. Too much care cannot be TAX
EN- in the home or ut the place Of busi-
ness in the handling of fire. The ap-
preaching winter Of course necessitates
a large increase in its use. Care and
watchfulness should be increased ac-
cordingly. Especially should the chin
nsys be looked after. There are man.
old frame buildings in the city the
| chimheys of which have not been ex
amined for wears, and number Of them
are no doubt really unfit for use. The
| CHRoNIcLE suggests. believing that the
| citizens of Custer will heartily approve,
that the city council appoint chimney
inspector. that he be instructed to make
careful and thorough examination OF
everv fue in the city, and that the re-
pairing OF the defective ones by the
owners, be made impeia ative.