The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-01-31
DES MONIES FIRE.
Frankel's Store and Other Big
Institutions Burned.


a million dollars worth of property
on Sixth street. The principal losses
are Frankel's department store, the
Utica clothing store, ,Des Moines Natl
bank, seeley's dry goods store and
the Monnett- Green Candy Co.
The Are started in the Frankel
store and destroyed the entire build
ing and stock. 1t damaged the Good
block on the east, the Utica building
and stock across Sixth street on the
west, and the buildings across the
street to the south of Walnut. Ply
sicians in the second story of the
Utica and in the upper stories of the
Good block and the buildings on the
south side of Walnut across from the
Frankel building were heavy losers.
The fire was first discovered at
3:05 a. m. At that hour the streets
were deserted. officer Pierce was
the first to see the flames, which,
even then, had made startling head
way and were shooting out of win
dow, midway from the front to the
rear of the old part of the structure,
and on the alley that borders the
building on the east side and runs
north and south between Walnut and
Locust streets. Officer Pierce ran to
the nearest phone and called the
central fire station. Not more than
five minutes elapsed until the first
wagon arrived, but by that time the
flames had made tremendous head
way. Smoke was belching out from
every window. The glass in the win
dows was falling about promiscuous-
ly and it was but little while until
the whole interior of the store was
lighted up. The heat became fur
nace-like. Fifteen minutes after the
alarm had been turned in the build
ing was a seething mass of flames
from basement to roof The suction
through the broken windows drew
the fire upward in great currents, in
which the interior of the store and
the goods contained disappeared as
if they had been tinder.
The crowds gazed on as if awe
stricken when the wall of the Frankel
building on the Walnut street side
finally fell with crash. The descend
ing masses of bricks caught the net
ting of wires stretched along Walnut
street and tnespeetators fled in panic
to cover. The falling of the walls on
the Walnut street side was the signal
for the succumbiug of the entire build
ing. 1t was 3:31 a. NJ, just twenty-six
minutes after the alarm was turned
in, when the south wall gave way.
Four minutes later the whole build
ing seemed to collapse at once. 1t fell
with resounding crash, but FORUM
ately the walls did not spread out
ward to any great extent, and none
of the firemen were injured. From
this time on the heat gradually sub
sided, and this enabled the fire de-
partment to control the incipient
free in the surrounding buildings.
The Frankel Improvement company
building, with fixtures, cost S125,000
less than two years ago, and is total
loss. The company carried 80 per
cent of the building value in insur-
ance, all with Des Moines agencies.
The Utica building valued at $685.
900, is fully protected by insurance
with Des Moines agencies.
A. and l. Friedrich the Utica cloth
iers, carried stock of over S100, 900,
on which there was approximately
SOC, 900 insurance.
M. and H. Younker carried $4,000
insurance on the Frankel's annex
building. All of the smaller losses,
with the exception of few small
items on office furniture, libraries,
ETC.. are fully covered by insurance.
The big loss is on the stock OF the
Frankel's company. The stock filed
all of the building, covering the quar-
ter block at Sixth avenue and Wal
nut streets, and its value is estimated
at $3.50 900. The company figured on
insurance at S5 per cent of this
amount. Officers of the company say
it will be impossible to give an ac-
curate list otthe insurance until they
could get into the vaults, but esti-
mated it at about S240, 900.
The entire list of losses so far as
can be obtained are:
The Frankels Incorporated
(stock) ..........,-.... ............. $3.50 900
The Frankel Improvement Co
(building) ...,.-.....---...-...-,.-... 125, 900
Marcus and Herman Youn-
ker, the old Younker bldg
occupied by the Frankels $4,000
A & | Friedrich (stock .-......--.- 35 600
Marcus sYounker(pt Cook blk 10000
Utica Building company ~---.-- 10, 500
Rothwell est (Seeley bldg 5000
@ II Seeley (stock) ,.................u 0,00o
Des Moines Natl bank bldg. $500
Marx building $500
Sheer building $500
DIR McGorrisk building ...-..-,--.. 1000
Henry Plumb (stock ..,,...,.-....-. $500
Monnett- Green Co (stock) w $500
II Cownie Glove Go (stock) 1000
Lawyer & Beeks (stock ...-..... $500
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