The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-01-08
HOTEL ON FIRE.
The Business Portion of the town
In Extreme Danger.
Desperate Fight With the Flames.
Nc Water in the Mains.
Great WORK of the Chemical Fire
Extin guishers.

Fire came rear destroying the Dakop-
oils hotel Thursday AMI with II the
principal business block Of the town.
1t was the nearest call to a disastrous
conflagration Kimball ha, had aud it
has given the business men a scare that
will last for some time. The block in
which the Dakopolis stands contains the
pripcipa.. general stores of the street, the
three stores OF the Ochsner Hardware
company. Pazour's fine saloon building,
three other store buildings and the Ma
sonic hall. The Dakopolis is a three
story structure, with two covered bal
comics running full length and a flat
tin roof. That the entire block, 1nclud d.
ing every other building i'll the square
and Parker's lumber yard. is not IN
ashes today is due 10 the efficient work
of a dozln OF the little Eureka hand fire
ex%tinguishers bought by ths business
men early In the winter.
The fire was discovered about 1870 D.
m. ny people on the street. A dense
cloud Of smoke came pouring out of an
open from. window on the second floor.
After a hard fight through the binding
smoke which filled the halls the fire was
traced to- bedroom on the third floor on
the extreme south side of the building.
Then the fight with a fire which
threatened 100000 worth Of property
began in earnest. At tho first alarm
the fire engine and hose were brought on
the ground. but except Il little water in
Il cistern close by none was to be had,
and the bucket brigade, reinforced by a
dozen or more OF the fire extiDguishers,
took up a task which seemed at first we'll
nigh hopeless. The fire spread from the
bedroom into the partitions aud crept
through into the ceilings beneath the
roof boards. Here it was that the ex
tinguishers got in their deadly work.
Holes were chopped through the roof
and streams Of gas and water shot under
meath as fast as the heat showed the 10.
cation Of the fire, but it was a hard,
stubborn fight for over an hour. The ex-
inguishers were recharged over and
over again by a halr-dozen workers Oh
the sidewalk below and nearly a hun.
dred pounds of soda and over two gal
Ions OF acid used in the work. The
bucket brigade kept string OF pals NOV
ing from the cisterns under the stores
meanwhile.
The origin OF the fire is q mystery
The room where it started was occupied
ny Frank PazOur, the clerk. The cham,
bermaid put the room in order about ii
O'Clock. Young Pazour was also in the
room ali hour after. Alamp in the
room exploded from the heat ana made
the fire more intense. A look through
that part Of the house will cause wonder
how the fire was eyer extinguished witt
the means at hand.
The furnishings OF the hotel were re-
moved during the fire across the street
The hotel is owned and managed by Mrs
Mary Sypal. There is an insurance
with the Phoenix Of $500 on the hotel
and 5000 on the furniture, which viii
probably cover the loss. The block has
always been considered extremely has,
drdous and there is very little insurance
on the buildings. The Oclsner com,
pany took the precaution to load several
wagons with goods before the fire was
got under control.
Fortunately the fire broke out during
the middle OF the day and at q time
when plenty Of immediate help was at
hand There was no wind, a still more
fortunate thing, else the result would
have been sadly different.