The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-08-13
From a STAFF Correspondent.

ton narrowly escaped total destruction
by fire Friday evening and only the
most heroic efforts of the bucket bri-
gade and the assistance of the Mas
sillon fire department prevented. AS
1t was, the row of frame buildings on
the west side of Canal street, known
as Frame Range, consisting of eight
buildings. was almost totally Destroy
ed, together with the most of the con-
tents.
The fire started about 5:3C in the
drying room of the c. o. d. laundry,
owned by Ed. S. Brinkerhoff. No one
was in the laundry at the time and
the fire is supposed to have been orig
mated from the dry room having beer
left overheated. 1t was first noticed
by DR.. w. E. Moulton who mas dental
parlors in the same row of buildings
and the alarm was turned in by hun.
The department Responded promptly
but the apparatus was out of order
and much valuable time was lost le-
fore stream was got gong. The
engine in use is d Silsby and has been
used by the department for 27 years.
II was found that there was no steam
and il was more than 20 minutes after
the alarm was given that steam was
raised. 1t was seen that the fire was
to be dangerous one and an appeal
for help was sent into Massillon. The
Sisby worked well for time but the
injector broke down, the boilers were
burned out and the use OF the engine
had to be abandoned. The bucket
brigade worked nobly and it is due
to their efforts no doubt that the viii
lage was saved from total destruction.
The Massillon department made a re-
markably quick response to the call
and it is said that they consumed but
~ minutes in making the run. After
they arrived they did remarkably
good work IN confiuing the flames and
preventing their further spread but the
fire was practically unde: control be-
fore they got to the scene.
AT one time ii looked as if the en-
tire town was doomed to destruction.
Owing to the lack o: = ssN the houses
were as dry as ti!lder ant a dozen Of
them in different directions caugh. at
once. Hard work on th.i part OF the
volunteers, however, confined the
flames TO Frame Range. Among the
other buildings which caught we're the
Reformed church and parsonage, ,.nd
the residences of Mrs Port ,: and hcv.
Elliott.
Owing to the inflammable constrlc-
tion of the buildings in the row there
was little or no hope of saving them
when once attacked by the fire, and
efforts were conaned to preventing
further spread. l.: rapid succession,
after the laundry, the Artcr building,
the Daily building, Moke & Sons shoe
store. j. ]. Wilhc:m's store, Drodbeck's
dry goods store, Dayis's rTcbet store,
The Canal Fulton Signal Office, Brod.
becE's residence, the Kcubler build
ing, f. r. Held's building and w. z.
Moulton's and Fl. ]. Hursickor's dOu-
BILE two story frame bulldir gs were
destroyed. Tie latte: was occupied
by unsicNer's bakery and the Moul-
ton bui ding ny Homer Moke's resi-
dence and Moul:on's dental parlor.
In tie burnt section also were two
large halls which were to have been
used during the coming street fair.
Mayor MtCAfdcn took an active
part in the worN of the fire lighters and
assumed the Nrrctioa of the oper-
ations n the hock-t brigade.
The h~ss OF tie flames was intense
and IN Ssv~rO Instances goods whicn
he'd bseo removed from the houses TO
place OF Supposed safety in the
streets hsh - be abandoned there and
were Destroyed. Two sections of hose
were !ost in :h!s waj and were burned
up.
There were one or two accidents OF
p uincr aatuIe. Kirt Miller, one of
the volunto~,s, was injured by fall
ing timber ard sustained serious
scalp wound George Meiber was also
hurt about the head, a pail that was
thrown from one of the buildings
slrifin CHIN and inflicting painful
wocnd over the eye.
BY O'clock the fire was entirely /
un,lcr control, although the Massillon !
department remained for some time
pumping wator on the ruins as meas (
ure OF precavtion.
Chief Kittinger, OF. the fire depart !
Inenl, said that an invetigation !
would be madc tc ind out who was
TO blame for tho steam being down
~ me cEgne and consequent delay in
1ghtlns the f'ro. He says that the en-
cine Is 10 seldom used that the party
IuhGso basipsss 4 wns 70 attend to, Il
~ esohsSlk z !. hsso!as y, \. !. e.ssIsyc . q. !