The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1893-09-21
SCHELI CITY PASSES THROUGH
A BAPTISM OF FIRE.

Two Enti;e Dloci, and Part Of All
other Destroyed.
Tie town of Scheil City was
greatly damaged by fire Thursday of
last week Twenty nine houses were
banned iucluding the Duck house,
depot and warehouses The Nevada
Mail says:
Block fourteen and block three
and the east one third of block nine
teen together with the depot and the
wareb bouses along the railroad track
constituted tue loss of Schell City's
big FIRE,
1t was seething, Missing furnace
of flame fartened Oh town as dry as
tinder and urged on by wind which
blew almost hurricane The feeble
efforts to control it would have been
ludicrous had not the situation been
SO elious
When first discovered the fire was
breaking through the roof of We
cant house short distance north of
the Trout hotel The building was
two story frame owned by Fielding
Childs. Two or three men went up
to fight the flames but could do no
thing. The wind soon whipped the
blaze into confagration and few
minutes later the Trout Hotel was
5urni, &.
The Child's building was near the
center of the block and the fire was
extending in both directions.
There was tower on the tank
house and from it the brands blew to
the Duck hotel. They found lodge
ment in the north wing and the hand.
some structure was at .ce mass
of flames.
| A perfect deluge of sparks and
pieces of burning timber few over
the railroad track. They fell in 9
shower on the depot, but for time
it was believed that building would
resist the rain of fire The roof was
painted with ironclad paint anG
heavily sanded which would ordin
ariIy have rendered it almost fire
proof,
While the crowd was watching the
depot, Anderson livery barn to the
east OF the track began to burn ane
was almost consumed before th'
flames took hold Of the depot build
ing
The FIRE had grown general
dwelling after dwelling to the nortl
of the Duck property aud east of thu
railroad had baoken into flames, ant
the air was literally filled with irs
ashes aud smoke The brands wer'
blown half mile or more and no
content with feAsting on the tow
the fire was carrying it's ravages tt
the country. The 1000 acre meadow
known as the See tract was burning
and the fire was tapping everything
before it in the race to the Osag'
river.
At one time there were more thar
20 houses in full blaze while tn,
blackened remnants of others We're
sinking iuto piles of fiery debri
which now and then, under fierce
gusts of wind blazed up viciously
from the ashes.
In all there were % houses burn
ed Most of them were small dwell
ing houses which would range from
$500 to $3.50.
Exclusive of the household good
Harry Duck, who visited Schell Cit,
in the evening, estimated the loss a
$4,000. Other conservative gentle
men say that the estimate is not fa
wrong The total insurance will no
exceed $4,000. The town has hat
several rather disastrous fires ant
having no fire protection the rat
was so high the people preferred t.
carry their own risks.
The Duck House has beer in ope
ration % years. It was built by tn
railroad company aud came into tn
possession of Mr.. Duck in 1873. /
; few weeks since it was traded by Mr.
Duck to Mr.. Culp of st Lonis fo