Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-03
Fire This Morning Destroys
Property Valued Approx
imately at $4,000.
A HOTEL THREATENED
Former ottumwan Narrowly Els.
capos Death.
FIRE STARTED IN RESTAURANT
Explosion in Apartments of Chris
Ruud and Family and Collapse of
Fire Engine Make It Impossible for
Fire Department to curtail Loss.

Abba, March 2.-(Special) Fire
which started in Pill & Sons restaur-
ant, nearly opposite the Monroe hotel,
at 2 o'clock this morning
burned two two-story brick
buildings, valued at $1,000, threatened
the destruction of the Monroe hotel,
and nearly caused the death of Arthur
McVey, baker employed in Chris
Ruuds bakery, and femer resident
of Ottumwa. The two buildings,
containing three store rooms, were
owned by G.. w. Hartsuck and T. j.
Lewis, of Abba, and were occupied by
Pill & Son, restauranteurs, George w.
Reel, druggist, and Lewis & McAllis :
ter, grocers, on the first floor Will
liams & Porter conducted pool
room in the basement under the res
taurant, and the second floor was used
partially occupied by company A, Fif-
+ ty-fourth Iowa National Guard, as an
armory. The exact origin is unknown,
but it is thought that the blaze start
ed from a cigar stub thrown under
the counter in the chop house.
Discovered Late.
The fire had gained considerable
headway before it was discovered by
members of the Pill family, who reside
in rooms over the restaurant. The
place of business was closed about
midnight and s. S. Pill, one of the
owners, retired with his family for the
night About 2 o'clock in the morning
The smoke penetrated into their liv-
lng rooms and awakened them and an
alarm of fire was given. The men,
hers of the volunteer fire department
worked valiantly, but at critical time
one of the engines went by the board
and the fire could not be controlled
until the two buildings were practical
ly destroyed
Damage $4,000.
The damage will amount to $21 900
at a conservative estimate, with insur-
ance to the amount of $13,200 The
buildings, which were erected only last
summer, were valued at $4,000, and
insured for half that amount They are
almost total loss, only the. outer
walls being left, and these are proba-
bly, damaged so much that they can be
used in rebuilding to the height of on
ly one story. All of the losers will
realize something from the insurance
companies with the exception OF Chris
Ruud, who lived i'll rooms over the
grocery store. He estimates his loss
on household goods and personal prop
erty at 81 900 and had no insurance.
The Burned Buildings.
The burned buildings We're located
on the west side of Wall street, in the
first block north of the northwest cor
ner of the square. The south room,
where the fire started, was owned by
G. w. Hartsuck, and the two adjoin-
ing by I. j. Lewis. Fill & Sons restau-
rant on the first floor of the Hartsuck
building is total wreck. The loss will
amount to from $1,S00 to $4,000 on the
stock, with an insurance of $1,400.
S. S. Pill, the senior partner in the
firm, resided with his family in the
rooms over his place of business. He
lost all of his household goods, and he
and his family narrowly escaped with
their lives. His individual loss is ap-
proximately $1,000, and he was insured
in the Capital of les Moines to the
extent of $780,
In the basement under the restau-
rant Williams q Porter conducted a
four table billiard hall. Their loss is
$1,000; insurance, 500.
The middle room, nrst- floor and
basement, was occupied by George w
Reel, druggist. His stock is total
loss and was valued at about $4,000.
1t was insured for $1,000, $1,000 in the
Providence of Washington and the
same amount in the Glens Falls OF
Glens Falls, N. Y.
In the second story. over the drug
store, Nelson Clark, attorney, had Of
fees. His property was saved before
the fire reached the Office. The larger
portion of this floor was used by com.
pany A, fifty-fourth Iowa national
guard, as an armory. The members
of the militia saved their rifles, with
slight damage to a few Of them, but
lost their uniforms. hats, caps, camp
utensils and ammunition. During the
progress of the fire the cartridges ex.
ploded one by one and kept the crowd
at distance more effectively than
ropes would have done.
Lewis & McAllister, grocers, occu
pied the first floor and basement in the
third or north portion of the burned
building. Their stock of goods, en-
tirely consumed by the flames, was
s valued at $4,000 and insured for $2,SOO
$1,000 in the Pennsylvania of Phila