Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1903-10-16
The Old Mnnekaht Row of Wooden
Business Houses Went Up in Smoke
Early Sunday Morning
LOSS AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $4,000
Insurance Amounts to Only $3,lOO--Stone
Blocks Will Soon Take the Place
Of Those Destroyed.

Sunday morning about D o'clock fire
was discovered issuing from the rear of
G. peterson's harness shop, Gillespie's
plumbing spop, Pomeroy's grocery and
the bowling alley, in the old wooden row
known as Minnekahta block, all
buildings seeming to be ablaAe, and
we'll along when discovered. Before
the alarm could be proclaimed very eN-
tensively over town and people aroused
from their slumbers the fire had spread
rapidly and several places were blazing
furiously In fact SO rapidly did the
fire spread that people sleeping i'll the
row, in Applegate's restaurant and
and other places, barely escaped in
their night clothes. 1t was nearly six
O'Clock before the hose teams were all
out and streams were playing upon the
fire (no fault of the hose companies.
but rather with the inadequate mode
of giving AN alarm. BY this time, too,
there were many people assembled and
assistance given toward carrying out
goods from the burning and threatened
buildings. Yet with all the assistance
not much was saved from a majority
of the doomed block, for the fire burned
exceedingly rapidly over the first three
fourthS of the row, making it difficult
and dangerous to save much. There
was IA small alley.way between the
johnson hardware store and First
National bank building. and here il
wa, determined that a desperate fight
shculd be made to check the fire.
where were three streams kept playing
upon the johnson store and the fire
held under control and finally sub
dued, thus saving the bank building,
the only remnant of the wooden row
left practically unframed. Some good
work was done by mary in handling
the hose and in other ways to quench
the fire, and by others in removing
goods while many others stood around
with their hands in their pockets,
laughing at the excitement and posi-
BILE mistakes of some wLo were slightly
ratified but we're vigorously doing
something.
The loss entire is estimated to be
close to twenty-five thousand dollars,
some individuals and families losing
nearly all their possessions.
The insurance carried will not
amount to one-seventh or one-eighth
of the loss, as the rate of insurance in
such a risky fire trap was SO high that
it was almost prohibitive Conse.
quently not much insurance was car
ried.
The water supply was magnificent
the full force from three hydrants be
ing turned on for nearly three hours
and without apparently diminishing
the pressure or supply.
The iron roofs upon the entire row
made the fighting of the flames partic
ularly difficult, as the fire had gotte1
between the roof and ceilings, and wa:
rapidly spreading along, and it was
with the greatest difficulty that tn.
blaze could be gotten at.
1t is rather difficult to ascertain the
exact loss, but from those who los
property, and other sources, we give
the following estimates, and insurance
carried, if any:
Mrs. +. L. Evans, buildings occu.
pied by G. \. johnson, Berrier
\ Robinson, DIG. somarindyck,
G. G. Pomeroy, G. Peterson. 5000
John Waldron, building occupied
by Il. f. Thomas grocery 800. 200
Grant Robinson, building occu-
pied by Ted Hummel, barber
shop ................ ....... 1,5O
G. M. Cleveland, building occu-
pied by Wooster Co., feed and
E.S. Kelly, building occupied by
Maiden Bros, BARRIERS ...... $50
Abe Boland, building occupied by
Mrs. Cearns' restaurant. $50
Keystone Land & Cattle Co.,
building occupied by Apple
gates restaurant. ant............ $50
W. W. Stewart & F. Reeder, build.
ing occupied by Rorabaugh &
Stabler, bowling alley, and two
places occupied by Gillespie &
Co., plumbers. rs.............. 200
Insurance $1,000.