Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-14
INSURANCE is 100000
Estimated Loss Nearly Twice That
Amount-Fire Supposed to Have
Originated in Furnace Room of n. J.
Loves Store Building.

STRUCTURES IOCdtGu lhV oluohO, w
gether with block just on the edge OF
the business district and which con-
tanned the Hawkeye Lumber companys
yards, are in ruins, together with two
valuable residences.
The fire is supposed to have started
from the furnace in the basement I'M !
der H. J. Loves dry goods store at
about o'clock this morning
The flames burned fiercely, and de-
spite the tireless efforts of half the
population of the city acting as rein
forcements to the Abba and Charlton
fire departments, the flames could not |
be brought under control nutil z
o'clock.
The Losses.
The list of losses, as nearly as they
can now he estimated, follows:
H. ]. Love, two story brick
building .......... ......... 9lo,ouu
: H. j. Love, dry goods stock l2.OOo
DIR. G. G. Hoover, dental parlors,
second floor Love building
fully insured) 800. $50. 1900
Dee w. Johnson, drug stock, in
Love building Insurance, So
lUU) ..,.I........+. o,oou
DR.. H. G. Eschbach, office over
drug store $500. $500
j. t. Draper, stock OF chemicals
over drug store . 500
George Wilkin. building ..... 5000
Harris Bros. grocery stock in
Wilkin building .............. $500
Toby & Beckett, cigar factory
over Harris store insurance
AZ OO0) 5000
Z q q r. lodge. building ....25,0 900
q q n lodge furniture ..... $500
Strasburger & Veryeer. dry
goods stock. L. O. o. F. build
Inc $4,000
Doody & Abegglen, law office. |.
o. o. F. building .......... l,00O
A. G. Perry, law office, |. o. 0. F.
building oVo
Abba State Bank, building and
fixtures il,ooo
hank huilding 1900
II. B. Perry, building across alley
from bank (partial damage
only ........ .......... oVV
vi. j. Cramer. residence rear OF
Love building ........... 2,oVo
Wilkin Grain Co., building and
contents ..... ............ oooo
ceorpe p Cramer. residence. 1000
Leslie Johnson housesold goods
Cramer residence :. :. -. 500
r.. w. Anspach, contents of barn i,5OO
A. L. McCrary. livery stable,
marble shon barn $500
Harding & Long marble works LOCO
Hawkeye Lumber Co, Samuel
Anderson, local manager, build
ing fully insured) :. 5,ooo
Hawkeye Lumber Co., lumber in
yard, fully insured) 2o,O0o
r. /. Mitchell, buggies. ..... sou
The total loss will, it is thought
reach $150,000 and some estimates
place it at 100000. The insurance
as nearly as it can be estimated al
present, is about 100000.
Loss Heavy to Abba.
The loss falls heavily, not only up
on the actual owners Of the property
destroyed, but upon the town as q
whole. Abba has just been eXperienc
ing the greatest period of pro
gress it has known during it's entire
history and was emerging from the
ranks of Iowa towns into the class by
right called cities. This costly con
flagaration will prove serious back
set to the community's forward marcel
but the many admirers of the city be
lieve that the burned buildings will bt
replaced by others even more sub
stantial and valuable and that thu
FIRE, while now regarded as calamit.
will in the end prove benefit to th'
city and will give the progressive mel
of Abba an example to show thei
spirit and their tendency to overcom
obstacles.
Engines Break Down.
The two fire engines belonging t
the city of Abba practically brok
down during the progress of the fire
and had not the Charlton department,
responded so readily to Albia's appea
for aid, the flames might have sprea
even farther than they did. TIL
Burlington railway is praised by Abb
people for it's prompt service in gel
ting the Charlton firemen and thei
engines to this city and in furnishin
water to be used in quenching tn
flames.
Origin in Love Building.
The fire is supposed to have origin
ated in the furnace located in tn
basement under the Love dry good
store. This building was on the Yves
side of the. square at the southwes
corner ana formed one end OF SOIL
line of valuable brick business stru'
lures extending to the alley midwa
down the block and between the built
ing occupied by the Abba State ban
and the r. B. Perry block. This ha
block was wholly consumed and til
property is practically a total loss. Th
places of business thus destroye
were:
Fl. ]. Loves dry goods store.
Dee w. Johnson's drug store
Harris Bros grocery
strasberger 4 yerveer, dry good
double room.
Abba State bank.
The StraSberoer 81 Vprveer stor