The Van Buren press., 1899-12-30
A Disastrous Fire.


alarm last Tuesday morning about D
O'Clock aroused our people from their
sleep to wiiness one of the most dis
astrous fires that has occurred in Van
Buren, for many years.
Will Minor. who lives in the Ross
property adjoining the opera house on
the east. and I. w. Edmondson noticed
the fire almost simultaneously. 1t evi
IDENTIFY had been burning for sometime
for the flames were then shooting out Of
I the rear windows of the opera house
Mr.. Minor ran 10 the bell and rang the
alarm and then returned to the opera
house 10 assist in getting out the hose
/ reel and apparatus of Merchants Hose
company whose headquarters We're in
the opera house building. \ good breeze
was blowing from the east carrying the
flames over toward Main street and in
few moments after the blaze was dis
covered the shingle roof of the two story
Hinkle warehouse was found afire, and
the eornices and window frames of the
buildings occupied by Pape Bros. the
| Van Baren Hardware Co. Ross Saloon
and the old Robinson hall were ignited
by the fierce heat and flying embers.
To add To the seriousness of lthe situa
tion the water pressure was very weak
at the beginning and for short time It
looked as if the whole block on that side
of Main street was doomed. But the
fire department, under the efficient
leadership of Chief Pernot soon began
to check the further spread of the flames
and within an hour after the fire was
discovered it was under control.
During the height of the danger when
1t appeared that the amount of hose
would prove insufficient. message was
sent to the Fort Sluith department asking
for assistance, to which they responded
promptly, running reel of hose to the
Frisco yard and loading it on fat car.
Twenty members responded to the call, i,
but there they Were stalled on account
of the red-tapeism of the officials of the
Frisco. and lay there for fully three
quarters of an hour before an engine
was sent to pnll them over. When they
arrived the fire had been under control
sometime and the apparatus was taken
back without unloading. A number of
the members remained. however, and
gave valuable assistance in tearing down
dangerous walls.
The opera house was early abandoned
to its fate it being apparent that nothing
could be done to save it; the upper story
of the Hinkle warehouse was entirely
gutted owing to its int1ammable con
tents, but on the lower floor the tiremen
made determined stand. To show the
good work done here it is only necessary
to point to the fact that the frame build
ing fronting the warehouse WAS not even
scorehed While one part of the de-
partment was working here, Others We're
fighting the fires that had started on the
roof and in the upper floors of several of
the other stores A falling wall of the
opera house had wrecked the wall of the
upper floor of Pape Bros store and for
time things looked pretty squally
there. The goods in that portion of the
store were badly damaged by fire, water
and smoke.
The damages run well up in the
thousands. and if the fire had occurred
few days later would have yet been
much heavier, as preparations were be-
ing made by MIR. Murta to move his
furniture stock into the lower floor of
the opera house building, in which his
undertaking department WAS already
stored. with the exception of the hearse
which had been removed while repairs
were being made.
During the progress of the fire the
people formed a salvage corps and Will
Minors residence. Hinkles store.
Lynch Racket Store aud kalbach 5
tailoring establishment were ernptied Of
their goods, which were removed to
places of safety. The contents of the
Hinkle warehouse conld not be removed
and most of them were destroyed or
damaged beyond use Of smoke and
water.
The valiant work done by the depart
ment was substantially appreciated by
some of the heaviest losers by the fire.
On Wednesday Mr. John Hinkle donated
S25 to the department, which was sup
plemented by $50 from Pape q Pape,
FPS from Van Bursn Hardware Co. s2j
from w. H. Ross. S25 from T. w
Edmondson and $40 from Mrs. Wood
This amount will come very handy, as
the department has been in need of some
necessary paraphernalia for some time,
but unable to procure it for lack OF
funds.
As regards the origin of the fire moth
ing but speculation can be indnlged il, ,
but Indications are that the fire had been
burning n good portion of the night.
Mr.. Lloyd stated he examined all the
stoves before closing up the building
after Monday nights performance.
THE LOSSES.
Murta, opera house, IS, 900; stock
Sc 900 Insurance 50, 500. W. H. Ross,
5000; insured. Pape q Pape, building
andistock, $3.50; insured. Van Buren
Hardware Co. building and stock about
81 900; insured. J. H. Hinkle about
80 900 on building and stock; no in
surance.