Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-28
Old Elevator BURNED
One Of the Landmarks Of the Depot
District Destroyed BY Fire Of
Unknown Origin.
The Old St Louis. Occupied Only as
q Warehouse, Goes Up in
Smoke.
Brennecke & Head and Mr.. Kurtz
the Losers Property Was
Not Insured.

What might have proved to be a SER
ious contlagration in the depot district
but which luckily was confined to the
building in which IL had Its origin, oc-
Cured shortly after II O'Clock Friday
might, when the shrll screams of
Central switch engine announced some-
thing to be wrong. Only a few moments
after the engine sounded the call for
help a general alarm was turned in
from box 4, at the Central round house,
and this was followed Immediately by
another general alarm from box 426, at
the Alert hose house.
The flames We're found to be in pos
session of the old st. Louis elevator, To-
Gated on Third avenue about one block
south of the Iowa Central tracks and
on Iowa Central property The fire was
first noticed by Night Operator Frank
Norton, at the Central yard Office. At
that time small blaze could be distin-
guished in the northeast corner of the
building, where 1t appears the fire
originated. He was instrumental In
sounding the first alarm. and 1t was not
long until every fire company of the de-
partment was at the scene. Owing to-
1.-THE dry condition of the building and.
the fact that stiff breeze was blow
ing. the flames made GOOD progress, but
their course was checked by water be-.
fore they could spread to any of the
numerous buildings adjacent. What
might have happened, however. had not
prompt work resulted, is hard TO con-
lecture. The Kansas City Grain Com.
pany's elevator is directly across the
| street. many coal offices and lumber
yards are in the immediate vicinity
and the Central's car and paint shops
are too close TO have escaped had the
flames spread Asit was the wind car
lsried live Goals over a block to the north
and east and people who owned build.
ings in the vicinity We're on top of them.
| in jiffy working to sQuelch the Goals
as they appeared. The interior of the
building was entirely chArred by the
hot fire and the flames managed to eat
away the roof and burn thru, the north
and east walls before they were
checked. So dense was the smoke after
the flames We're under subsection that
| immense volumes We're carried along
Second and Third avenues The Elks.
| who were in session, were compelled 10
adjourn owing to the rooms being
| filled.
The loss to the building, which will
be complete. is only about $500. that be-
! ing the amount Brennecke & Head
+ paid for 1t some time ago A similar
4 building could not be built for less than
! 1880. but this one was old and its mar
/ ket value was not great. The heaviest
| loss falls upon Mr.. Joseph Kurtz who
rented the building as. storehouse for
wagons and bobsleds. Forty pairs Of
/ bobs and twenty-five wagons, Knocked
4 down. We're in the building, and all
/ We're lost, with the possible exception
/ OF the wagon axels. which were only
somewhat damaged Mr.. Kurtz's loss
! will 9be' about $500. There was no in
surance carried on either the building
1 or its contents
The burned building is quite relic Of
learly days. II was one of the first grain
Elevators in the city and formerly stood
close TO the Central tracks about
4 where the present yard Office building
! Is located. II was operated first by the
ST. Louis Grain Company and after
wards BY Harry Hail, now Of Water
Hoo. The American Linseed OIL Com
/ pany bought 1t finally and for the past
/ fifteen years it has not been used for
anything but storage purposes. Bren-
3necke & Heald bought the building
/ from the oil company as an investment
Y eight months ago.
The origin of the fire is complete
mystery to every one. Roth Mr.. Bren-
inecke and MIR. Heald visited the scene
of the fire this morning and MIR. Head
/ was on the ground Friday night.
Neither could discover any clue that
would give them any information as to
7 how It started. The only surmise they
attempt is that perhaps thru some
means the lock was broken ana tramps
Went in to sleep. lighted matches 10 see
/ their way and threw them into a cor
4 ner whore there might have Been a hi
i tie rubbish. This is simply conjecture.