Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-08
BIG FIRE
AT HOOKING
NEW COMPANY STORE BUILT
WHILE THE OLD ONE is BE-
ING CONSUMED.
$4,000 STOCK is BURNED
While Big Building With Immense
Stock Was Being Burned to the
Ground New Stock Was Purchased
and Store Erected During Night.


Ground New Stock Was Purchased
and Store Erected During Night.
Hooking, Dec. ESPECIALLY While
the embers of the big general store
were still blazing. marking the spot
where fire had totally consumed a
building and stock worth $4,000 dur.
| ing the night, new stock in new
| building less than block from the
old location was opened to patrons at
O'Clock this morning having been
procured while the old was burning
to the ground.
Hooking is typical mining town To-
Gated three miles south of Abba on
| the Iowa Central railway. 1t is a
town of about 1900 souls and the
| business of all the male inhabitants
has to do with the mines. The big
company store, where all the miners
traded, was the largest building In the
little settlement. 1t was of frame,
Al feet by 100 feet, two stories high
with basement in addition. In this
| structure was stored a stock aggregat.
ing in value over $4,000. At the
rear OF the store were the Offices of
the Hooking Coal Co., the owners of
the mines. Both buildings burned to
| the ground the fire being started from
unknown causes and when the blaze
was discovered it had gained such
Roadway that nothing but the books
| could be saved.
Mystery as to Cause.
The cause of the fire is mystery.
The store was heated with steam from
a plant outside of the building and
/ was lighted with gasoline lamps. The
employees OF the company who closed
the building at o'clock last evening
are positive that these lamps were in
good condition at that time and every
one is at a loss to understand how the
fire started.
Secured Good Start.
When the residents of the town dis
covered the flames in the
store at 700 p. M, they
had gained such Roadway that it was
impossible to save any of the stock,
while extinguishing the flames before
the entire building should be destroy
ed was out of the question The books
Of the store and those in the mine COM
pany's offices were saved but aside
from these nothing remains but pile
4 OF smouldering embers and distorted
steam pipes. to mark the scene of the
once busy store.
Loss Is $4,000.
The total loss will reach about $40,-
900, according to the figures given by
men connected with the company. The
insurance amounts in all to $4,000.
Company Works Quickly.
Oskaloosa, Dec. 5.-(Special.) 1T is
not beyond the range of probabilities
that a coal company's general store
should burn but it is almost outside
the bounds of belief that before the
fire is extinguished in the ashes of the
old store a new one should be opened
for business. This is what was ac-
complished. however, through the un-
firing efforts of George w. Sewers. of
this city, president of the Hooking
Coal Co., and his numerous willing as
sistants.
Sewers Quick to Act.
Mr.. Sewers was notified last even
ing at his home here that the company
store at Hooking was burning and was
sure to be consumed. He immediate
/ ly began to consider the result of a
complete failure of the source of sup
plies for the little mining town and de-
cided quickly to provide his employees
with store in spite of the loss of
thousands Of dollars caused the compa-
ny by the fire. He summoned to Oska-
loosa the heads of the various depart
ments in the company store, and they
came from Hooking, arriving at Oska-
loosa shortly before midnight last
night.
Buys New Stock.
Meanwhile Mr.. Sewers got into
communication with the heads of the
wholesale houses in this city and told
them that he wished to buy a new
| stock for his company store during
the night. Clerks, stenographers and
| lt.borers were hustled out of bed at
midnight and fastened to the stores
! where they We're employed until day
| light this morning, filling Mr.. Sewers
| order. Meanwhile. teamsters were
carting the goods to the freight depot
and were loading it into special
Iowa Central train secured especially
| to carry the new stock to Hooking
Goods Arrive At Hooking.
| AT o'clock this morning the goods
were on board the train and the train.
men were ready to start. Mr.. Sewers
! with his $4,000 purchase went to the
mining town to superintend the 'plac.
/ ing of the new stock.
Build During Night.
| Upon the arrival of the train the as.
tonished employees OF the company,
whose minds had been too much occu-
pied in selecting the new stock at Os-
kaloosa to think of what would be
done with it at Hooking were sur
prised to see new store which had
grown in night from small room
originally used as restaurant to a
tstore building "a feet by 1870 feet Car
penters had been secured from Abba
and throughout the night they had
been working on the new structure, the
flames from the burning building max.
ing the scene almost as light as day.
Opens at 9 O'clock. :.
Willing hands carried the stock of
goods to the new store and after q
short time 1t was announced that the
clerks were ready for business. At 9
o'clock the doors were opened and the
town was supplied with food and cloth