The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-13
RAIN SAVES
GHICkASHA FROM
DESTRUCTION
Fire Gets Beyond Control Of
Citizens and Terror Reigns.
PROVIDENCE ITSELF ACTS
Great Is Rejoicing as Dreaded
Fiend Is BaniShed.
PROVIDENCE ITSELF ACTS

Guthrie, Q. T, March 12.-Yesterday
Chickasha, 7. T., was threatened with
destruction by fire and only providence
itself, in the form Of ram, saved the
town from utter ruin. The Telegram
gives the following account of the night
OF terror:
The fateful fire alarm which has come
to be the terror Of every. citizen of Chick
asha was sounded again in the dead Of
last night and every business man awolze
with dread that his place would be a
scene of another battle with the FIRE lend.
IT was about $3.50 this morning whom
fire was discovered in the waTeroom Of
the Overstreet Hardware company, which
occupies the Murphy building, hrst door
south of the postohice.
The smoke was so dense that no one
could enter the building and The efforts
Of the FIRE fighters were devoted TO saw
ing the surrounding buildings
For a time it seemed as If this would
he futile.
The wind which was blowing a perfect
gale from .he south swept a stream Of
hery sparks high in the air and far over
the town, threatening every building IN
the entire business section.
Tor time it seemed as If the town was
doomed. An explosion Of powder IN In
The burning store sent q sheet Of fire high
above the walls.
This was caught by the winds and
dashed against the block to the north and
some was carried as far as the plant Of
the Chickasha Milling company. which
came near being tgnited.
-..-.1-rs f~nr~
highest, however. and the hearts of the
southwest were beginning to quail before
prospects Of the entire town beine wiped
out. there came a fash OF lightnm g, a
thunder clap and the rain began to fall
in a heavy shower.
Welcome as this would have been under
any circumstances since the prolonged
drouth, it was doubly and trebly so now
10 rit was Chicl1asha's only. salvation.
The cartridges in the burning store were
exploding IN the heat. driving away those
who We're fighting TIE Gre. bat another
explosion Of powder blew cut the cronc
of the building and caused the fire to set
lie low on the ground. The rain con-
tinued in a steady shower fighting back
the sparks and lowering the flames. and
those who occupied adjoining buildings
began to breathe mere easily.
a hose attached to the force pump ad-
joining the Gnky-Jarbe Hardware COM
panv. was used to good advantage and
finally tie tide turned and it was aupar-
cnt hat the FIRE would be confined TO the
7Iurphy building, and that by what seems
as q miracle.
Chickasha was saved from a conaagra-
ton which would have given her set
back from which it would have taken
years TO recover.
The Overstreet loss was SL0@. Insur-
ance $500. OF which D. d. Sayer had ST. 90
and Cochran Bros. $3.50. The Murphy
building was insured with the Fechheimer
agency for $1,000 The adjoining stocks
of goods suffered only removal losses
fully insured. The origin Of the fire is
unknown Some suppose the building was
struck by lightning and some that it was
robbed and fired. 1t seems probable that
lightning caused the FIRE.
The Burton building Immediately south
Is cracked and the Y. n Sayer building
two doors south. has the roof ripped up
with a loss Of $500, fully insured With D.
j. Saver.
Take the best when YOU need medicine
Hoods Sarsaparilla IS the hest medicine
money can buy