The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-03-04
ANOTHER OLD
LANDMARK GONE.
Fire Destroys Iola's Most Prominent
Business Corner.
THE VOLUNTEER FIRE co.
Did Excellent Work From Beginning to
End-BuiIdings win lie Replaced
with n Handsome Brick
Block.

A little after nine o'clock saturday
night fire was discovered in one OF the
frame buildings known as the Simpson
corner, at the southwest corner of the
square. Cliff McCarley gave the first
alarm and the cry was taken up and
carried all over town. In about ten
minutes the fire company assisted by
willing hands of volunteers drew the
engine to the place. BY this time the
flames were under such head way that
all efforts were made to save Otten's
building. This was done, but the
frame buildings were burned clear to
the alley. The firms burned out were
HufIerd's meat market, Mrs. Cos
horns millinery, Mrs. Turner's
millinery, j. G.. Ferguson's tin shop,
Bostwick ~ Acers real estate office,
Robt. Baird's restaurant and the lola
Gas Co.'S office. All the buildings
burned were the property of Mrs.
Simpson and have stood On that
corner for twenty years.
In some ways there could not have
been a more fortunate misfortune than
this one. The evening was still, not
u particle of wind blowing. A south
wind such as blows most of the time
would have insured the burning of
the west side as far north as the
Sleeper block. Another circumstance
All Mt In of thn n RI ~
all the able bodied men in town were
down town and quickly arrived on
the scene. The chief loss was the
buildings, but the owner has been
considering for some time the question
of tearing down the one story frames
and putting up a handsome brick
corner building such as the location
demands. 1t is generally conceded
that this particular corner Is the most
desirable business corner in town. 1t
was an oppOrtune moment for a fire,
and il the fire had to come, an Oppor-
tune place.
The fire seems, from all testimony,
to have started i'm the rear of the meat
market and Mrs. Goshorn's millinery
The former extended ten feet or more
farther back than the latter and there
was an open space in the rear of the
millinery. In the corner made by the
back of the millinery and the meat
shop was where II started, but wheth-
or inside the buildings or outside will
never be known. When the fire COM
pany arrived, the fire was in the rear
OF Mrs. Goshorn's millinery and wac
under full Roadway. They broke
shot out in a long tongue which Tapped
clear around the south corner of Mrs
Turner's store.
AS soon as the front caught fire all
effort was expended in saving Otten's
store which was In danger in front
and behind John Often was inside
the store and whenever the flames
broke out above the windows, hi
turned his soda fountain on them
The awning and sidewalk was tori
out and the fire engine played out
side. The danger was soon over and
the workers went to the rear of the
building. A hook and rope was eff
fectively used and Bostwick's Office
was pulled forward, away from OF
tens. This set the gas office on fire
and it was pulled over. The energy
and rapidity and endurance display
ed by the fire boys was admirable
They worked like fiends and were
well backed up by volunteers from
the crowd. The old frames across
the alley were torn down some tim,
ago, SO the fire stopped there.
A large crowd saw the fire and thu
street was crowded for two blocks
but the crowd kept back and did no
interfere with the work. The only
casualties were few burns anC
scral ches. Lucock, the assistan
night watch, did some good work anC
while hooking rope onto one of tn
buildings, got Il severe wound on hi
head. The hook slipped and struel
him across the temple.
LOSSES AT FIRE.
The burned buildings were tn
property of Mrs. Jane Simpson. Thei
value was fictitious on account of 10
p cation. They were insured for S75
in the Connecticut Fire Ins. Co.
j. IL. Hufiord, who owned the mea
market saved few of his tools wort
about So 90 His loss was fully cover
= ed by 5000 carried in the Concordis
) of Milwaukee
Nothing was saved in Mrs. Cos
horns millinery store and the los
was probably fully covered by tn
5000 insurance in the Queen, of Liver
pool. She will again engage In bus
ness as soon as suitable building ca