Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-28
BUSINESS BLOCKS
WIPED OU1 BY FIRE:
Town Of Melbourne Suffers
Gigantic Loss by Fire
Monday Night
MAIN STREET SWEPT CLEAN
MAIN STREET SWEPT CLEAN
Only Three Business Buildings Left
Standing Among the Ruins of the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and Con-
tents and Town Hall and It's Records
Arc Destroyed-Los. s4s,6ooo.

Ie = : 4 r
Arc Destroyed-Loss $4s,eooo.
Special to Times Republican.
Melbourne, April 2S.-The greatest
calamity to befall a town of Marshall
county In many years, or at least since
the tornado that visited Ferguson four
years ago came to Melbourne last
night when fire destroyed practically
the entire business portion OF the town.
The total loss amounts to s43,600, while
the total insurance carried will not ex-
coed $22.350. The postoffice is among
the ruins, as is also the town hall.
which, is destroyed, together with all
the records of the municipality.
It did not take long after the fire was
discovered for the residents of the town
to realize that 1t would be impossible
to save the doomed stores. About all
that was left was to confine the efforts
to buildings not directly in the pathway
OF the flames and arrest the progress
as much as possible. Melbourne has
only a small hand chemical engine and
1t was utterly inadequate to cope with
the flames that were leaping with
such ferocity. Fortunately there was
but little wind or the entire town might
have been destroyed.
Origin ls Unknown.
The origin of the fire is unknown.
and 1t cannot be surmised unless that
spontaneous combustion Of some
drugs or oils, is responsible. The fire
started in the rear portion OF C. w.
Lamer's drug store. in the Wensel
block. G.. w. Sell. of the Central Hotel,
was first to make the discovery, SMELL
ing smoke when he returned from
meeting the Chicago Great Western
train. shortly after 10 o'clock. He
thought that the Hunt drug store was
on fire, and telephoned DR.. Hunt, who
Immediately came up town. 1t was soon
discovered that the blaze was in the
:Lamer' store, but before the blaze could
be located to certainty 1t had made
such headway that saving the Wensel
block, II nothing more, was out OF the
question.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
The flames spread rapidly, and 1t
seemed only a moment until the entire
Wensel block was one mass of blazing
wood. The fire went both ways,
spreading to the adjoining buildings,
and to bsth sides of the street. While
all the stores were closed at the time
1,a- a ~,
every one had retired. 1t did not take
long to arouse the sleeping populace
Willing hands went to work to do
everything in their power to prevent
the wiping out of the street. At first
1T was thought that lighted lamp
left In the Lamar store was RESPONSE
bic for the fire, but an investigation
showed the lamp to be burning in the
front Of the building, while the flames
were cracking In the rear.
Scene DesoIate One.
The scene this morning, when dawn
appeared to show the terrible effects
of the nights confiagration, was a
desol;tte one indeed. But three buildings
are left on the street, the Big Four
opera house block, occupied by Bohn-
sack and Benson, and j. e. Retz gen
era merchandise stocks, and Gus San
'derson's bowling alley.
Narrowly Escaped Fatality.
One fatality as result of the fire was
narrowly escaped. Miss Nellie Buck
ley, q trimmer in the Boone millinery
store, occupied sleeping apartments in
the building, and, after being awak-
ened. was overcome by the smoke in
af fivSer IN 1,a,~
was carried out of the building in a
state OF Inconsistencies by Charles
Bagley.
Losses and Insurance.
The losses sustained, together with
the Insurance, as far as it has been
able TO ascertain, are as follows:
W. Z. NJ. Wensel block. two story
frame building, occupied by six stores
valued at $4,000. loss complete: in-
surance, $4,000. Occupying the first
floor of the building were DR.. E. A.
Hunt, drug stock, loss $4,000, insurance
$2,100; C. w. Laner. drugs, loss 81 800,
insurance, $500; Jack Mulcahy, barber
shop, fixtures and contents, loss s1,500.
Insurance, $500; Gus Goodman, restau-
rant, loss $500, insurance $500; postof-
flee, furniture and contents, 500, no
insurance; NJ. Boone, millinery stock,
loss $500, insurance, $500.
On the second floor of the Wensei
building Dr. B. NJ. Howland sustained
a loss of $3.50, insurance 5000; Charles
Spencer. furniture stored in room, loss
800, no insurance. In the basement
Joe Backoffs billiard hall was de-
stroyed, the loss being $500, with $500
insurance.
Farmers bank, loss $780,
L. H Pearson & Son. Office building.
real estate and insurance, loss $4,000.
insurance. $1,000. In the contents OF
their Office they sustained $50 loss.
with no insurance.
Chris Kroener, real estate same
building, Office contents, loss $50 no
insurance.
w B. Kibbey, building, two story
frame, loss $4,000, no insurance. Build.
ing occupied by Henry Brandt, harness,
loss $1,s00, insurance. $1,000; George
Hines, hardware, $4,000 loss, insurance
$4,000; second floor Melbourne Tele-
phone Company, loss $500, no insur-
ance. Peter Diggins, residing on second