Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-24
Village a Few Miles From
Ottumwa Suffers a Loss
of $4,000.
WHOLE TOWN ON SCENE
But Five Business Houses are Left
in the Place.
SEVEN FIRMS ARE BURNED OUT
One Man Receives Warning to Leave
the Place Else His Property viii
Be Destroyed by the Torch, Which
Supports Firebug Theory.

Fremont, April 24.-(specialD "A
most disastrous fire, supposed to be of
incendiary origin, began here at
o'clock this morning and was not un-
der control for several hours. The to-
tai loss is in the neighborhood of $32,-
900; insured for about half.
The Losers.
Frank Gordon, meat market, loss
81 600; insurance $500. Building one
story frame, owned by Cannon & Gun,
valued at $500; insurance, $500.
Logan Hibler, restaurant, rear used
as residence; will not estimate loss
but has $500 insurance which will
about cover it. Building owned by H.
N. Hamilton and was valued at $1,4OO;
insurance, 5000. Mr.. Hamilton will
not rebuild and does not know what
he will do. Mr.. Hibler saved some of
his household goods.
John R. Dale Drug Co., drugs, two
story frame building and contents loss
on building $1,000; loss on drug stock
and household goods stored in second
story, $4,S0O Amount of insurance
not known. Mr.. Dale is in Chicago at
tending medical college and his wife.
who conducts the business, does not
know the amount of insurance. The
firm will reopen at once in the Palmer
restaurant building.
]. N. Endicott, general merchandise,
two story frame building owned by
him. Loss on building and contents
$4,000; insurance $1,700. Mr.. Endi-
colt will not rebuild and does not know
what he will do.
M. B. Lee e Son, furniture and un-
dertaking. Two story frame building
owned by them. Loss on building and
contents $2,S00. Insurance $l,800.
This nrm saved quite a little of their
stock and will reopen at once in the
Palmer restaurant. They will build a
b-ck building for their business as
st IN as possible.
j. P. Fox & Co., hardware. farm
implements and stoves. Building was
If brick, two stories in height, and
was owned by them. Loss on building
and contents, $4,000. Insurance on
building, $4,000; insurance on stock
$4,000. They will probably rebuild at
once.
Charles N. Holbert, restaurant and
hotel. Loss $1,000. Building owned
by Solon Helm, the loss on which is
$4,000. There was $4,000 insurance
on both building and contents. Mr.
;,, no nj nj
house which has been vacant for some
TINE.
Mrs. Charlotte McFall, barn in real
of main fire, loss 500, fully insured.
Masonic building across the street
from the main fire, damaged $100, fully
insured.
f. N. Mckinney, business house,alst
across the street, broken glass, etc.
damage $50, fully insured.
Aldridge & Reeves, hardware. dam
age to building, SIS, fully insured.
over Half of Business Houses Gone.
Seven buildings in all were destroy
tion of the town. This leaves but fiv'
still standing.
Origin of Blaze.
At O'Clock this morning the famil.
of Logan Hibler, who reside in th
rear of a restaurant conducted by then
on Main street, was awakened by tn
smell of smoke. A hasty examination
revealed the fact that the building wa
on fire The blaze started betwee
the building occupied by Mr.. Hible
and that used by Frank Gordon as
meat market. A general alarm wa
sounded and in a short time every III
habitant of Fremont was on the seen
lending all the assistance in their pow
er to check the flames. The town ha
y gasoline fire engine but no waite
was obtainable. The wells were nea
~ dry and what little there was to b
had was soon exhausted. All the
could be done was to watch the pl't
yress of the flames until they reach g
! point where they We're less fierc
and could be handled with the agfsl
pies at hand. The buildings burned i
che order indicated above.
Was lncendiary.