Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-02-26
A COSTLY FIRE.

Shortly after the clock had struck
twelve on Saturday evening tn ose who
had business upon the streets at that
time were startled by an alarm OF fire,
| and it was soon ascertained that there
was as big confagration in progress
as this city has had in recent years.
The fire had broken out in the Kick
busch building on Third street, and 1t
was soon made apparent that there was
little hope of saving the structure from
| partial, if not total destruction. The
fire was discovered by several people at
about the same time. At this time the
flames had spread through the store OF
Evenson, Butler & Co, and at about the
same time the roof was found to be on
| fire, and flames were also shooting out
of the third story windows at the rear.
1t was but a few moments before 1t
appeared that there was fire in every
room on the third story. After the ar
rival of both hose trucks every foot OF
hose was stretched, and with the
amount of water from these streams 1t
was found that an adequate supply
could not be secured to drown out the
flames. The trucks were sent back to
E%Doth engine houses for more hose, and
every foot of hose in the city was
brought into play. In all seven lines of
hose were stretched making 5000 feet
in all. Some of these lines were used
on the lower floor, some on the second
and third stories, some to the rear,
while several were drawn up on top of
the Gensman building, where they were
turned on flames issuing from the roof.
The flames in the Evenson, Butler &
Co. store were extinguished in a short
time, but those which had eaten their
way along the walls of the upper floors
and under the roof, were obstinate, and
it was hard work for the fremen to get
them under control. The building,
which was originally built for hotel,
was cut up into great many rooms,
and these were filled with smoke and
made it impossible to get at the flames.
For time it looked very much as if
every building in CSe block stood good
show of being consumed, but finally,
sufficient water was poured into the
building to cause an abatement to the
work of destruction. At the time the
fire broke out there were several dodgers
roOming in the upper stories of the !
building and some of these had narrow
escapes. Among the tenants were
three ladies, and these were awakened |
by a roaring sound, the cause of which |
they could not conceive. They hastily
dressed themselves and went out into i
the hallway and were Mortified to find
the building filled with smoke. At first
they were bewildered and did not know
which way to 60, but the firemen, hear
ing their voices, directed them by
sound which way to get out. Others
were brought down ladders. Many of
these people lost nearly all of their
personal effects for they did not have
time to pick up anything, and what
was not destroyed by fre was so soaked |
with water as to be valueleSs.
The third story suffered the worst de- |
structiOn of any, not alone to the build
ing but to the contents of the rooms. !
The. fire had worked in between the
roof and ceiling, and when apparently
quenched in one place would immedi- !
ately break out in another, and for hour
after hour streams of water were kept
playing on this upper portion, which
did not stop the work of destruction,
until the entire roof was burned off. A
portion of the roof of the Gensman
block was also damaged, and the loss
in the upper part Of this building is
considerable, for the water poured into
it raised havoc with the plastering and
contents of upper rooms.
From the time when the alarm was
first sounded the tiremen worked stead i
lily all night and it was not until ten
o'clock Sunday morning, before the
last vestige of fire had been wiped out.
In the Gebhart building, owned by
Robt. Kickbusch, and occupied by L. |
A Lyman as a fruit store, the stock |
was badly damaged by water and
smoke. Evenson, Butler & Co.'s stock |
of clothing suffered greatly from fire, |,
smoke and water, and though they may
be able to dispose of portion of the
goods at n 'tire sale" yet after the in
surance has been paid, full value will
not have been realized on the stock by
any means. In the Delmonico buffet
the damage was not so great. The
place was soaked with water, which
loOsened the plaster and wall paper,
and the fixtures were more or less
smoked up, but Kickbusch has kept
right on doing business. In the rooms
above the loss was great. The furni-
ture, bedding, carpets, etc, were nearly
all destroyed and the woodwork of the
third floor is so badly damaged that
that floor will practically have to be re-
built.
Fortunately nearly everyone carried
insurance, and therefore the loss will