Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-03-21

L OOuu jul W" ~
| VIM Hart Thos Hart
Eli Depew Saml Holmes
| Theo Farrar George Croker
The Band Entertainment Monday
night was a success, financially, netting
over thirty dollars. The feature of
the evening was Trauernicht's graphic
phone. The records were all good and
the sounds from the horn were plainly
heard all over the room. The talk
ing" selections were very distinct and
the audience needed no strained ear to
comprehend every word reproduced
In this connection, the members OF the
band Tuesday evening unanimously
voted that the REGISTER convey their
thanks to Mr.. Trauernicht for his good
will and favors extended to them. May
his shadow never grow less, nor he
rest content until shall have settled
down in Irouton! The band also &C
kuowledges it's obligations to the pub
tic for their patronage, and the boys
hope to make the organization such as
the Valley need o be ashamed of.
But it takes time, work, money and pa
thence to accomplish any worthy pur-
pose.
Bismarck had a most disastrous fire
Monday morning last. The particu-
lars are told in the following taken
from Tuesdays t-DispGtch: Il could
have saved Bismarck with a half gal
Ion of water Standing in the smok-
ing ruins of the entire business sectiop
of Bismarck, Mo-, Monday afternoon.
young Jacob Goeltz made this asser-
ton, and there were none to gainsay
him. Goeltz saw the flame, no longer
than his hat, leap on the roof OF his
barber shop Monday morning at $3.50
o'clock. The local freight train stood
putting within so feet of his shop.
Goeltz caught up a pitcher OF water
and ran through his garrett to the roof.
The water dashed out the fire save in
one spot, hardly larger than Goeltz's
hands. He needed a half gallon OF
water TO ~extinguish this blazing patch
of shingles. The time that it took for
his neighbors to start the municipal
pump and raise this bit of water cost
Bismarck her business center. cost her
citizens 800, 900 and left 200 people
homeless. In 80 minutes the fire had
DESTROYED two solid blocks of business
houses, jumped to twenty residences
and two churches and leaped a valley
to reach a lumber yard five blocks
away. From the p~ostoffice north to
Leppitt's corner hardware store, two
blocks away, one small chimney stood
like a monument In the ruins. A rec
tangular square, W blocks to the side,
was swept like q chess board when the
game is done. Bismarck was a town
of frame houses laid as carefully for
the flames as if by design. The Iron
Mountains so passing trains a day not
over go feet from the main street we're
the finder box. Monday the high wind
blew from the south and the shingles
were dry as a mouse's nest. The con-
ditions that made Bismarck ripe for
burning also Indirectly caused the
heavy loss that her people suffered.
The insurance rates were put so high
that few insured. Hence the insur-
ance companies loss is less tina $15,-
900. Bismarck was on fire twice Mon
day morning. The second fire wrought
destruction. The postoffice building,
so feet from the Iron Mountain depot.
and the southern limit of the burned
district caught first. Andy Cummings,
. Jr., ran to the roof, smothered the in
cipient blaze and gave Bismarck a hall
hour of life. Within 80 minutes Goeltz
saw the fire on his roof and in 30 min
utes later only rock foundations told
where the business blocks east OF Main
. street stood. DR.. j. j. Norwine saw
the blaze on Goeltz's roof, and he
knew Bismarck's dangerous predica-
men: well enough to grasp the entire
: situation. The town is gone! Don't
fight the fire, but save your things!
9 he shouted, running the length OF the
two blocks. The people we're brought
to reason by his cries. They dropped
y water buckets and piled into the burn
; ing houses, m vieing with men,
and children carrying bundles larger
: than themselves. The fire drove them
out in 10 minutes, and, standing or
a the railroad track, they. saw the
homes and property vanish into flames
smoke and ashes. Goeltz's house wa
q two buildings distant from the nortf
8 end of the business district. The fir
q finished with his property in five min
p utes. Then it fastened on Barth's sa
t. loon, and cracked and burned with 1t
= alcoholic stimulant. The Commercial
Hotel, Golfers drug store and McAuf'
a store were tissue in its path. From
a McAuff's the fire made an easy lea
n across the street. Winstead's store
DR.. j. j. Norwine's ofie, the Rile,
millinery store. went up in successiv
puf's. The flames lit easily on tn
II City Hotel, three stories and SO rooms
the pride of Bismarck"
Fl LOSSES.
10 Bismarck has 500 inhabitants.
le Total FIRE loss, estimated, $4,000.
r. Over three-fourths of the business house
~ destroyed.
to One-third of the residences burned.
The individual losses are estimate as To-
"a lows:
L. N. Kirkpatrick, dwelling, $500; 4
insurance.
L. Blum, household goods, $500; no in
surance.
c. r. Cindall, residence, $500; INSURANCE
c. T. Manter, Office building, 5000; Il
% insurance.
l. D.. L. Rivers, law library, $1,000; no ir
ge S. D. Bryan, store, $500; no insurance
r, George Goeltz, barber shop, $500; no il
IN surance.
S. Collier, merchandise, $2500; insu'
ance $3.50.
IT A.. Barth, building occupied by Collie
ok $500; no insurance.