The Iola register., 1902-01-31
The North Side Suffers We'd
nesday a
THE DAMAGE NEARLY $1,000
Stafford, Steinman, Shannon, Hobart
and Robinson are the Victims
department Called Twice

be record breaker as about the fifth
fire occurred Wednesday morning.
The fire Wednesday was on the
north side of the square in the build
ing owned by l.. Hobart and A. Rob
inson and occupied by II. M. Stat
ford's grocery and 0. l.. Steinman's
meat market The alarm was sent in
at 5 O'Clock but it is not known how
long it had been burning for when the
company arrived the building both
down stairs and up stairs was full of
smoke. The smoke made it thard to To-
cate the fire and it was O'Clock be-
fore it was under control The COM
pany worked hard but on account of
being unable to get at it properly
about the only thing they could do
was to throw water
1t seems that the fire started in the
lower room just back of the partition
which separates the grocery and the
store room and the meat market and
store room. Just back of this partition
is located lard vat and the general
impression seems to be that the fire
started from the fire under it, 1t is
evident that the fire had a pretty good
start before twas discovered as short
ly after the company arrived the sec
.ond floor fell in.
Until recently the upper story has
been occupied by Mr. H. M. Stafford
and family but they moved out less
than week ago and Tuesday a fam
lily by the name of Mccain moved in.
The stocks of both Mr.. Steinman
and Mr.. Stafford and the fixtures
were utterly ruined by the smoke and
water. The fire was confined to the
back end of the building and did not
touch the goods in the front end but
with the exception of the canned goods
everything is a loss. Mr.. stafford
carried 81, 900 insurance and Mr..
Steinman $3.50, both in the Home In
surance Company represented by
Smith & Travis
AT 10 O'Clock in company with a
REGISTER reporter Mr.. Travis went to
the rear of the building to prepare
his report for the company and was
tearing off boards at the back end to
get into the building when it was dis
covered that it was on fire again. An
alarm was Immediately turned in from
Shannon's and in less than two min
utes the company was on the scene
again. 1t looked pretty blue for lit
tie bit too, as every foot of hose will
the exception of one section was
strung out at the fire house frozer
beyond service. The chemical
engine was turned on and did gooC
service butifit had not been for the one
section of hose which waslying strung
out along the west side Of Shannon''
there is not much doubt but that the
fire would have been very disastrous.
1t did not take long however after the
water was on to quench the seconC
fire.
The building is total loss. 1t IL
valued at $4,000 and was insured il
the Palatine Insurance Company foI
$500.
Mr.. Shannon estimates his loss al
the way from $1,000 to $500. His base
ment contains about foot of water
which will practically ruin everything
in it. He had large stock of nails
sheet iron, plows, rope and stoves
stored there. On the second lloor h.
had his buggies, paints, oils, etc
These are all damaged to great ex
tent, by the water, smoke and heat
He carries $4,000 insurance on th'
stock and 81 900 on the building. Th
building he thinks is damaged to tn
extent of $75.
@. II. Osborn on the east side OF tn
fire suffered very little damage. Th
west walls of the building are hur
some by the water but that is all.
FIRE NOTES
It was reported on the street tina
five firemen were hurt but such is nc
the case. Nobody was hurt.
Every available piece of fire tightin
machinery that the department ma
was in use today. The old chemica
engine did some good work.
The fire wagon was tipped over {
the southwest corner of the squal
while returning from the fire and
ladder broke and several ornamen
knocked off the wagon, Nobody VIZ
hurt.
A range of |, M. Hershkowitz's b
came too hot Tuesday and set Il
floor ahre underneath it, Mr.
Hershkowitz put itout with a bucket
water.