Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-05
AN EXPENSIVE FIRE.
Thos. &. Nash's Handsome New Residence
FaIls,a Victim to The Flames.

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palatial new residence, overlooking
| the west side, had been Quilted by fire
| direction of the we'll known site
showed the bare and roofiess walls of
| the building still standing, with a
great stream of water from the water
| works yet pouring upon the smoking
ruins.
Strange to say fewer people were
attracted by this fire than have been
aroused and drawn to many an insight
| ficant blaze. that has occurred in the
city in the past, owing probably 10 the
| fact that the wild alarm usually
sounded by the Electric Light Plant
on such occasions was wholly lacking
| in this case. An alarm was given, but
| the fact that but little fuss was made
over it. miSled many who were awak-
ened into the belief that it was but a
small fire, and they returned to their
beds rather than 10 brave the stinging
| cold Of the weather out of doors.
The fire was discovered by Mr.. ThoS
E. Nash about Ills O'Clock and an
| immediate alarm was given, but it is
thought that nearly half hour
elapsed before stream Of water could
| be got into the burning building. 1t
| had by that time got under such head
way, that although the fire
departments of both sides of the river
were on the ground, it was impossible
to save the wooden interior of the
| building which had become as hot as
a furnace with the flames streaming
out of every aperture in the walls of
the structure. However, the work of
the firemen proved very effective in
| cOntining the fire to the inside Of the
building. The old home which stands
just in front of the new house was
badly scorched by the intense heat,
| but the house was saved. The walls
of the new building to oil appearances
seem to have come through the fiery
ordeal practically unharmed. Mr.
Nash has sent for the architect at
| Milwaukee and an expert to examine
| the walls, and if they are found to be
all right ne will Immediately take
steps to rebuild the parts destroyed
| by the fire, using the same rich.
substantial and beautiful fnishings
| that characterized the construction in
| the original building.
This residence was by far the most
valuable one in this city; it's fnishings
| in many particulars were superb, and
in its construction all the best modern
methods were adopted. When COM
pleted it was expected to cost between
| thirty and forty thousand dollars and
| it was SO nearly completed that only
few finishing touches here and there
stood in the way of the family'S
occupying it, which they expected to
| do on Christmas day. Their diSapoint-
| ment is necessarily very great, but
the expressions aoffegret and sya1pa thy
by their many friends in this city,
heard on every hand, is at least some
| them in the midst of their loss.
Nobody knows how the fire
originated. Messrs. T. E. and Guy
| Nash and T. HI. Freeman of Gould
City, Mich, had spent the evening in
the Offices of the Northern Paper Co.
on the east side of the river. They
started home about fifteen minutes to
eleven O'Clock. After reaching home
| Mr.. Nash and son Guy sat up few
moments watching the new passenger
train. which was late, cross the
| Northwestern bridge, when the elder
Nash retired. After he had gone to
| bed he heard a strange, cracking
sound, which he thought came from
his wife's room, and thinking perhaps
all might not be we'll there, he went
to her room but found no disturbance
there and he then went to the rear of
| the house to take look at the new
building. The electric lights were
| burning but he noticed nothing
unusual about the building and was
on the point of sretiring when that
ominouS cracking sound came TO him
again, when he concluded he would
investigate the thing thoroughly.
Slipping on his clothes he stepped
across to the new building when he
| discovered it was on fire and gave the
alarm. The fire was located in the
| northeast corner of the building, in
| the reception room, Immediately over
| the furnace, but by those best &C
| quainted with the situation it is not
| thought possible that the fire could
have originated from this furnace.
| What makes the subject most be-
wildering is the fact that every
precautiOn, IN the shape of the
| Immediate removal of waste and debris
! from the rooms, had been taken to
guard against this very contingency.
Mem bers of the family had been in the
building early in the evening, but when
| Uney feUlToQ from 1T anu lOCKeu Ulle
doors for the night every thing was left
SO far as they knew in first class shape.
| So it may be reiterated that absolutely
nothing is known about the origin Of
the fire.
1t is thought that the damage to
| the building will amount to about
S18,0 900 and there was a builders
| insurance on the structure of $4,000
LATER-Alfred c. Clas of the firm
of Ferry & ClaS, architects of Mil
| waukee, and Henry Ferge, an expert
| builder arrived in the city Wednesday
morning. A thorough examination of
the standing walls was made and they
were found to be in remarkably good
condition, due probably to the fact
| that the steel lath used helped to
retard the fire and at the same time
keep the heat tO a great extend from
| the outer walls.
| Mr.. Ferge has taken the contract to
remove the debris from the building
and to rebuild the floors petitions and
roof within twenty working days
from the time of beginning the work
and he wants ten or twelve labOrers
and carpenters at once. Apply at the
| house.