Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-07-27

Observatory at st. Katherine's Hail.
CAMBRIA STREET
Mrs. Amanda +. PAIL. house loss 49,
QUO; furniture, etc, $4,000
Charles II. Knappe.
ONEIDA AVENUE.
Household effects of X. L. Mark and
Mrs. Adeline r. Hurd
FULTON AVENUE.
House and barn slightly damaged, oc-
eupied by Harry Sears
When Capt. hitchcock arrived on the
scene of the fire he saw at once that the
whole Of the east end of the city was in
danger and he rushed into the Rock Is
land Fuel Gompany'a Office and tele-i
phoned to the fire departments of Rock
Island and Moline. These cities re-
sponded quickly and but for their
prompt assistance St katharlne's han
and many other buildings which were
saved would today be mass of ruins.
The fire burned four hours Az 4
o'clock it looked as tho the row Of
houses numbered 100 on Sixth street
would be added to the losses. ii ap-
peared that nothing could save the U
n. Roberts Company's property and
people thought that the tanks of oil and
gasoline belonging to the Standard Oil
Company would surely explode from the
hea!.
When the end of the carnival of fire
was come. and one mounted the bluff
he could see the extent of the devasta-
ton. 1t was spread like a sea of fire
from Oneida avenue to beyond fremont
avenue, and from the river bank along
the north side of Sixth street
Hose company after company was
added to the work in rapid succession,
scores OF citizens lent helping hand to
the firemen. the determination of each
man growing more intense as the flames
leaped higher and higher. Within ten
minutes ii was evident that all the wa
ter that could be thrown into the flames
from the hose would not check the prog
ress. The wind was tanning the fire at
rapid strides from row to row of the
long piles of kindling. Now flremen
We're laying down on the ground in or
der to endure thes awful heat, still
clingIng to the hose and directing 1t to
the best of their Judgment
Another scheme at this time was then
attempted by from seventy five to 100
citizens In the wood yard We're six or
eight wagons standing empty. work for
the day having been abandoned before
.h.. sta,.+ az tha fire These y.sre o,,;cl;ix.
flIad ,vitb s,vydus+ and an atte,un, W., .
mad. "a h,,ild d barrier with .bis in az,
er ia assjs in checkipg the nroe,ess
The attemnt waa a rai,ur. Tho mad
flames in the wind never recopnized tho
ga w,,,s, a, al, aud hafora ii, Of t,,a
wagons we're emntied 1T was nacesssr,.
Ia hurry .bar, from, tho yard 10 keen
them from h,rnirp
To tho ono. and u.est Within +yant,.
minutes from the Start three aisIps nj
ne l.indlipp n,iea abnnt nftoan faef
hipb ana from fftaen ~ tyan.v Fac,
vide we're burning ..1,he min tha min
viii bu,n vent from Noun 10 mouth
Now in ,,rg,,essed n,aoas f;fYv tn Inn
wards in the direction Of the wir1 prea,
Volumes of smoke we're iss,inp The
fire +, seemed crent under ,be r,iles nm
IN If wa, onposite the mill 4 b,,cke,
brigade here was formed with Thoma {
Grieye 71s East Fourteenth street as
the leader. Mr.. C;rieye Vac one. of the
sorters of the mill. He wore n savage
frown. tinred with despair. as he threw
bucketful after bucketful. of water into
| ratings. The wind increased. Where
smoke was now were flames and every.
| where we're falling large sparks of
| burning chips. Tiny flags OF fire sud
| denly waved from the cover of the long
sorting table In hundred places. Their
| these were Tapped in one great wave
| from the kindling From beam 10 bea m
and then TO the lumber towering high
| above the elevated tracks of the wards
| with the swiftncss of the wind the de-
mon like yellow arms of the heat
reached out. Only a moment more and
| the mill was enyeloped. The strings OF
/ hose that had been thrown across the
| street were burned like rubber and cot
| tor.
The roaring of the fire could be heard
| for many blocks now. Hundreds of fee,
| upward In the black smoke the flames
| were playing Time and again came the
| crash of falling. something hidden il,
| the terrible chaos. Rumors were spread
of men being caught near the mill and
| burned, but the mill was an open fur.
| mace and help impossible.
The street vas no barrier 10 the proc
ress of th, fir. AZ all. Az an aerial wa
| terfal, ii drnpped over into rho solid
SQUARE of lumber to the north of Rive,
street and then spread In bounds of 1oi
wards at once Compauies from Roel
island and Moline we're now arriving
and as they passed I'M tho street wrap.
ped in dust they were greeted by cheer.