The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-03-05
A BIG FIRE AT ALBA.
Thirty Thousand Dollars Worth of
Property Burned.

Abba, March Zone of the worst
fires that has ever come to the little
city of Abba started this morning
about 1 o'clock in the restaurant and
lunch counter place of Pill & Son. Be-
fore the fire had burned itself out
property to the value of thirty thous-
and dollars had been consumed and
three buildings lay in ashes.
The fire was discovered shortly af-
ter one o'clock in the Pill restaurant
by a colored boy of the Monroe hotel,
which is opposite from the Ger of
the fire. Inc flames seemed to be in
the rear of the restaurant and behind
the counter. No for the fire
can be assigned unless an explosion
of some sort had occurred. The fire
spread very rapidly and the inmates
of the building having rooms above
the restaurant barely escaped with
their lives. No property was saved.
The fire company had the restaurant
fire practically under control and
would have confined it to the M
building but for the fact that the fire
engine gave out by the breaking Of a
part of the machinery. A second en-
CINE vas secured and an attempt
made to operate it. By this time the
fire had been communicated to the
new two story building of T. ]. Lewis,
north of the restaurant. The lower
floor was occupied by the George Reel
drug store. The fire engine would not
work and the flames were unrestrain-
ed, and the next building north, also
owned by Mr.. Lewis, and occupied by
Lewis & McAllister, a fine new groc-
cry store, was o o a part of the fire.
The flames could not be checked in
their progress and were left to burn
out. The fire was still burning at s
o'clock this morning. There was some
little damage to the three story build
ing south from the restaurant. The
building was owned by George Hart
suck. The Chris Ruud bakery north
of the fire also sustained some dam
age.
The fire spread quite rapidly after
the start and the occupants Of the
rooms over the store were compelled
to fly in night clothing or partially
clad.
Jack MoreIand Routed Out.
Jack Morelanu, of Oskaloosa, who
was in the building had a narrow es-
cape and lost everything that he had
with the exception of a few articles
that he could gather in his hands.
The fire cut off the escape by means
of the front stairway and but for the
fact that there was a rear stairway
the unfortunates would have had a
hard time in getting out.
Company A had its armory in a part
of the Lewis Block. All the boys
managed to save was their guns. All
other property went up in the flames.
There were several thousand rounds
of ammunition in the armory and a
considerable quantity of black powder.
This exploded as the fire reached 1t
and the bullets began popping in a
way that sounded like firing on an out
post. No one was hurt by the flying
bullets, however.
The Reel drug store is a complete
loss as is also the grocery store. Chris
Ruud, who had apartments over tne
drug store, lost all of his household
effects.
The building in which the restau-
rant was located was he property OF
George Hartsuck. The Lewis build
ing was a fine new block that has been
recently erected. 1t is located one
half block north of the northwest cor
ner of the park on the west side OF
the street. The walls or a part OF
them are still standing, but they are
so badly damaged that they will be
practically useless for rebuilding.
There was singularly a very small
e zen of the losses covered by in
In every ase the insurance
was far below the actual loss. The
total amount of insurance is thought
to be less than $4,000. The list OF
losses and known insurance is as fol
lows:
Loss.
n-;1J;nu Six 000 no