Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-20
Eddyville Has a Big Loss By
Fire at Midnight
Tuesday Night.
DAMAGE is ABOUT $4,000
Starts in Restaurant From Some
Unknown Cause-Burns Seven Bus
mess Houses, the Methodist Church
and a Dwelling.

Eddyville, June 19.-(Special.)
midnight last night fire started in the
Seifert restaurant and before the
flames were eXtinguished nine build
ings, including the Methodist church,
a residence and seven business houses
had been destroyed, entailing loss OF
thousands of dollars. The entire pop
ulation of the town was on hand and
fought valiantly with the bucket brig
ade but the fact that many of the build
ings were frame and the further fact
that the town is practically without
fire protection, almost nullified the eff
forts of the workers. The flames, how
ever, burned themselves out and Ed
dyville today is glad that it is no
worse, although her people gaze rue
fully on the ruin the fire fiend has
wrought
Approximately $4,000 worth of
damage was done. The insurance
foots up $3.50 or about that amount.
The Losers.
H. G. True, grocery. Building owned
and occupied by him. Loss on build
ing and contents, $4,000; insurance,
$4,000.
Simon Dixon, grocery store. Build
A|oh'S
$1,500; insurance, $1,000.
Shaffer & Steinhoff, furniture deal
ers. Plate glass cracked by the heat.
Loss, $1,000; insurance, $500.
Mrs. M. A. Lester, confectionery
store. 5000 loss on building ond con-
tents; no insurance.
j. NJ Ryan racket store. Loss ST.
500; insurance, $500.
Mrs. S. S. Cawley, barber shop. Loss
500; fully insured.
G. L. Funk, butcher shop. Loss $500;
fully insured.
Grant Cawley. Loss on building,
5000; insurance, 5000.
Methodist church. Loss, $4,000! in
surance, $1,50O.
Philip Stuber, residence. Loss, ST.
500; insurance, $500.
Postoff1ce building, said to be owned
by Sam B. Brown. Plate glass crack
ed. Loss, $1OO; fully insured.
Mrs. A. Crosson. Loss on building,
$500; no insurance.
Men Slept in Building.
About midnight last night three
men Fernando Lutz, Frank Vance and
"Pennyroyal" Norwood, who were
asleep in the second story over Sci.
fert's restaurant, where they room
were awakened by the smell of smoke
1t cannot be learned just which one OF
the men was first awakened, but Lutz
it seems was the last to be aroused, as
he escaped with nothing but his night
clothes.
The cry of fire was raised and start
led the people of the place. In an in
credible short space of time hundreds
Of men in all stages of dress and I'm
dress were on the scene. Buckets were
procured and the fight to save the
town was begun 1t was a stubborn
battle that both the men the blaze
fought, the former finally conquerinf
but not until after more than $500
worth of property had been destroyed
An inventory of the losses this NOR
ming finds that less than half the loss
is borne by insurance companies ant
the remainder by the people on whom
the blow has fallen.
This morning the walls of the two
story brick building owned by H. G
True probably the most valuable build
ing destroyed, were torn down in or
der to prevent accidents to passersby
In two or three instances the buildings
burned were practically valueless ant
now that they are out of the road sub
stantlal structures may be built.
Origin Not Known.
Absolutely no theory is advanced az
to the origin of the fire. Theories O.
incendiarism have been advanced BY
O few but just what the motive is, is
not known. A great majority of the
people are of the opinion that it was
altogether accidental but no satisfac
tory theory has been formulated.
Another Story.
Eddyville, June 80 Special } =
Eddyville suffered last night from one
of the most destructive fires in the his.
tory of the town. 1t started either in
A. A. Seifert's restaurant or in the
building which adjoins Mr.. Seifert on
the east and from midnight until this
morning the flames ragged, their career
Hnnn