Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-01-26
BUSINESS PLACES RAZED.
THREE BUILDINGS FEED THE FLAMES.
Morning Blaze Causes Loss of $500. In
surance Of SI400. Fine Brick Block
VIII Be Erected Over Ruins.

Der of early riSerS in our town Monday
morning. Not De Wits early riSers,
but twin city risers. Some of them
may have been pills" however, they
are not advertised as such. The big
factory whistle in the MacKinnon mill
brought out the crowd soon after four
O'Clock, fire having been discovered in
Wolldemar Kinne's bakery on Front
street. In less than an hour three
buildingS-the bakery, n. Reiland's
meat market and the saloon of Rath
& ROwsam had been reduced to a
wreck that offered no possible chances
for repair. 1t was red hot confiagra-
tion, the big plate glass in the front
of l.. KRONER & Sons confectionery
store across the street being cracked
in several places by the heat. also
several windows in the Silber building
next to KromerS. The little Briere
building, which barely escaped total
destruction by flames seven weeks ago,
went through another siege. 1t was
badly damaged but it's occupants,
Fisher Bros, harness makers, got
their stock into the street with small
loss. They moved back into the old
stand during the day and Mr.. Briere
will fix up the place once more.
Damages covered by insurance. The
three structures burned to ground had
frontage of 81 feet. Losses were:
n. Reiland, owner of market and Sa-
loon building $500; insurance $1,000.
n. Weiland Of Appleton, bakery build
ing $500; no insurance. w. Kinne,
furniture and stock 500; insurance
5000. Rath & Rowsam, saloon stock
and fixtures $780, no insurance.
The baker started a fire in his cook
stove about o'clock a. M, then went
to work at Il batch of bread in the big
he discovered the ceiling wrapped in
flames around the cookstOve chimney.
fastening up stairs he awakened the
family and SO rapidly did the fire
spread that the mother and children
were obliged to rush INTO the snow
and cold without other protection
than their night clothes. Mr.. Kline
was burned severely about the face
while getting out. A heavy snow that
had been falling all night long and
was still dropping down did not pre-
vent the flames from hurrying on to
the Reiland market and then to the
saloon. but the white blanket GER
tainly was useful on the roof of Mrs.
j. Hamm'S brick store. The north
wall of the Hamm brick block was
within three feet of the bakery, the
hottest part of the blaze, and it stood
the test admirably. In the Reiland
market all light tools and the stock of
meat was saved. The loss of the three
frame structures from the heart of
our business section is little mourned
even by the owners themselves. They
were old buildings that had practically
outliyed their usefulness and were
certainly not in keeping with the pro-
gressive notions of Messrs. Reiland
and Weiland. Over the chaos of
charred timbers will soon be erected
modern brick block, two stories, full
double frontage on both Center and
Front streets, and depth of eighty
feet. The new block will be divided
into three apartments. So much of
detail was given to us by Mr.. Reiland
yesterday with an assurance that his
building would be tirst-class and up
todate in all specifications, one that
would stand as monument to his
enterprise and prove substantial
addition to our principal business
street. Mr.. Weiland came over from
Appleton Tuesday and returned
Wednesday afternoon. The brick
block will be built jointly by Messrs.
Weiland and Reiland.
NOTES OF THE FIRE.
Our local fire company had two
streams playing on the flames from
about 4:30 a. m. until 900 O'Clock a. m.
They were out again Wednesday after.
noon a short time to dampen little
blaze that started in the debris.
The Centralia fire company offered
its assistance to the Grand Rapids
boys Monday morning and the otiel
was accepted. The hose was attached
to a hydrant at the Timm & Briere
corner, stretched across the bridge into
Grand Rapids and north on Front
street, 1900 feet in all. A good strons
stream rendered effective service fol
nearly three hours and until the rec
demon was under perfect control.
A hind quarter of beef walked away
from the fire with a man under it
then another quarter accomplished
the same feat. Several persons mei
these men and the beef trodding along
in the darkness but in the excitement
of the moment the thieves were moi
recognized. Mr.. Reiland and the
authorities have thus far been unable
to find any trace of the missing meat
1t amt like the cat, it didn't come
back.
Mr.. Reiland has rented the Silbe1
building, nearly opposite from his ole
stand. The same was fitted up il
short order as market and on Wed