The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-01-08
ELK RIVERS LOSS.
The Handsome Houlton Block is De-
stroyed by Fire Early We'd
nesday forming.
A Loss of Over 100000, With In
surance About $4,000.
Many Firms Suffer.

yesterday morning between one and
two o'clock the residents of Elk River
were startled by the cry of fire which
with the small hurricane that was
blowing at the time created consterna-
ton and great alarm. The fire was
discovered to be in the basement of the.
Roberts Mercantile Co., located in the
Houlton brick block. A. clerk in the
building awoke and smelled smoke.
AS soon as he discovered the fire he
hurried to the store of W. L. Babcock
Sons Co., and awoke clerk there who $
at once gave the alarm over the tele->
phone line, the central office being To- I
Gated in the Babcock store. In this
way many were informed of the !
danger that threatened the town and
in very short time the whole town
was out fighting the fire which in the
meantime had burned vigorously and
had ignited a can of powder which was
in the store directly over the locality
where the fire was burning. Before
the powder exploded it was thought
that the fine HOulton block could be
saved but the explosion made fine fuel
for the flames which were famed by
the gale that was blowing from the
north and west. The fire spread with
great rapidity and in short time the
Houlton block was doomed and was
completely destroyed by the fire fend.
Realizing the danger that threatened
the town Elk River citizens ap-
pealed to Minneapolis for assistance
and Chief Canterbury ordered Assist
ant Chief Keogh, Master Mechanic
futile and ten men with engine No. 9
and l,5O0 feet Of hose to report to the
Great Northern yards. At 5:25 a.
special consisting of an engine and two
cars, having on board the iremen and
| their apparatus, started for Elk River,
but the fire apparatus arrived too late
to save the block, though was of some
assistance in putting out the fire. -','@--' =
| The losers by the fire with the loss
and insurance are as follows: w. H.
Houlton, owner of block and president
OF Houlton's bank, $2l. OOO insurance
Sl4, 900: A. N. Dare, Star-News office
and job office, $4,000, insurance $1,000.
f. N. Corey, postmaster, loss on fixtures
5000, insurance $500; the mail matter
was saved: j. Whitman, 5000 BUSH
els OF potatoes, $1,000, no insurance;
Heebner Mercantile company, general
store, loss on goods and fixtures, ST., 500,
insurance SIS, POO; Davis Bros, Mercan-
tile Co., general store, $500, insur-
anoe $4,000; Roberts Mercantile COM
pany, hardware, So, 900, insurance 81. 500;
Hildreth & Waterman, real estate. loss
small, no insurance.
c. S. Wheaton, lawyer, lost most of
his office furniture, which was partly
covered by insurance. P. NJ. Jones.
barber, lost S4OO with no insurance.
The Masonic lodges loss is $500; in
surance $3.50. The A. O. U. WIS S75,
no insurance. DR.. N. K. Whittemore
lost part of his office furniture and Jesse
Marley, county auditor, sustained a.
small loss.
It was a little less than four years ago
that fire destroyed most of the business
portion of Elk River The estimated
loss at that time was placed at $55, 900,
| with insurance at $4,000. The fire of
four years ago occurred on April "a,
1898, and the business men of Elk River
went to work and rebuilt with brick.
Many of those who lost property in the
fire of 1898 were losers in the fire
of yesterday. Four years ago Mr.. Houl-
ton lost his store and bank building, Fl.
j. Heebner, with whom at that time
was associated Mr.. Davis of the Davis
Mercantile Co., were also a loser, as
was also A. N. Dare, DR.. Whittemore.
Attorney Wheaton and the postoffice.
1t is not known just what the busi-
ness men who were burned out will do
but it is safe to say that they will re-
build.
The only thing that saved the Bah
cock building from destruction and DOS
sibly the Blanchett hotel, was the new
building of the Elk River. bank that
stood between the few small frame
buildings and the Babcock store. t.
The postoffice and Houlton's bank
have moved over into new building
that was put up last summer across the
street from the postofice. AN. Dare
OF the Elk River -Star-News lost his
entire plant and was forced to go to. St,
Paul where he will issue his paper this
week and until he can get new quarters
and new outfit.
- Golden Gulch'' at the opera house
| Ian Nth NV pniroo%1r