The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-05-09
A CLOSE CALL!
Washburn had a Narrow Escape
d Thursday From a Serious
Fire, Which was Discovered
In Time and Put Out,

In Time and Put Out,
During the high wind of Thurs
day about 10 o'clock in the fore.
noon, the cry Of fire was heard
The fire was discovered in the
rear of the Globe restaurant, few
feet away from a barn which is To-
Gated there. This place was the
dumping ground for ashes from
the stoves used in the building.
Hay and other refuse had accum-
lated around the yard making a
fire trap of the worst. Ashes had
been thrown out within a short
distance from this refuse and the
heavy wind scattered them into
the hay and refuse where it must
have smouldered for some time. The
fire was discovered by Messrs
Charlebois and Figenskau who
happened to be in that neighbour
hood and saw it. The alarm
was given and the chemical en-
CINE and hook and ladders and
a large number of citizens were
soon at the scene of the blaze The
property is owned by John Merry.
Mr.. Rice was right there with the
water tank and a supply of water
was on hand.
If the fire had secured much
Roadway before being discovered
the entire business section of
Washburn would have burned as
the place where the blaze was dis
covered is near the railroad and
the wind in the south, the fire
would have swept everything.
About three o'clock in the after
noon fire was discovered in a pile
of wood down near the river, and
when discovered the tar paper on
the building had begun to smoke
and some hard work on the part
of the first arrivals the fire was
soon under control, no damage
was done. How the fire started is
a mystery as the owners of the
shack have been away for the past
weeks. The house is located
near the boat docks and it may
have started from the Washburn
as she left for Mannhaven a short
time before, and a spark or asEes
may have been thrown out and
the fire started from that. The
wind was blowing a gale and the
fires being quickly gotten under
control, no damage resulted. The
fire department was right on the
sce' e and are to be commended
for the promptress with which the
pppratus was got to the blaze.
thursday was the first time the
dep trtmant has been called
out and the boys made swift run.
The FIRES coull not have started
on /. Gay th~t was much worse for
Il d stluctiye fire, and but for the
pronItness and energetic manner
displayed 10y oar ci5iztns, a.
different story would have been
told, ~ ashburn would have been
in ashes.
IL vas a lucky day and from
now OH hay and other refuse should
not be allow to accumulate around
the buildings as it affords a means
Whereby fires are easily started.
The citizens and officials should
see to it that this matter is attended
to at once and this menace to our
city removed. 1t. would not take
long to do this. An unsightly
pile Of manure and hay piled upin
and near the business portion Of
tie city, 81 es a stranger the i'm
preston that we are rather shift
less and with not much thought
for the protection of the property
of u city. Orders have been
issued and a dumping grouno pro-
but not much attention paid
to either.
1t was a close call and it was
with a sigh Of relief when the nhin
came about 8 O'Clock and then it
was realized that all danger frbm
fires We're over for the time being.
To the east could be seen a long
of a prairie fire, and with the
A.Es 80 ~ it, HLer &~A-