Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-26
SEEN THRU IHE SMOKE
Further Details of the Terrible
Fire That Swept Sioux
City
TRIBUNE BUILDING STANDS
Walls Being Dynamited to Prevent
Accidents - A Woman May Have
Pershed in the Flames-Tho Fight
Against tho Fire Was Heroic Ono
Tho News in General.
special to mes-Republlcan.

Special to Times Republican.
Sioux City. Dec. .26--The publishers
OF the Tribune believe that their rab-
bits foot worked overtime Friday night
while the city was swept by fire, as the
Tribune building was the only struc-
ture left standing In the burned district
Of two blocks and a half.
The Tribune says:
"Scrorched on the north side by the
roaring furnace of flame in which the
Seller building went up; then, before
the danger from this quarter was near
ly passed. singed at the east end by the
devourng heat of the West hotel fire,
menaced by the burning of some small
frame structures on the alley and by
others standing between 1t and the
Seller building--thru five hours Of the
ordeal the Tribune building was saved
by the splendid and intelligent work Of
the fire department, of the employees Of
the office. and Of volunteers who freely
gave their help.
1t was the last great crisis In the
battle to save the block west of Pierce
street. 1t was the first victory. There
had been defeat after defeat for the
brave firemen and their helpers Here,
at last worn and exhausted, they rail-
lied for the last stand that prevented
the nights loss being doubled.
II may fairly be said that there
We're three peculiarly critical points in
the progress of the tidal wave Of flame
that swept from Jackson street west to
Pierce. and half block east. After the
Pelletier block was fully in flame -
which seemed almost instantly follow
ing the discovery Of the fire--there was
small chance for the salvation of the
Toy block across jackson street, or of
the buildings as far west as Nebraska
street.
Ii the generals of the fire DEPART
ment could have been gifted with
omniscience. they could have stopped
the fire at Nebraska street by dyna-
hitting the Prugh block, on the east
side OF Nebraska. After that the,
might yet have saved the block west
OF Nebraska by dynamit.ng the War
held-Pratt-Howell four story block
across Nebraska street from the Pugh
building. But that, again, could not
possibly have been known until 1t was
too late. The firemen made a deter
mined struggle to hold the fire east of
NEBRASKA and for a time they seemed
to have victory in their grasp.
But flesh and blood could not stand
before that ocean of flame. The fire
leaped Nebraska street and the War
field Pratt-Ho building was gone.
1t carried along the Brown Office build
Ing and the others in the block west
of Nebraska.
Gallant but hopeless fights were
made to save the Seller block. west of
the Warfield building, and the West
hotel. to the south: but it was soon
plain that these, too, were doomed.
The Tribune building still stood, some
what apart from the fires on two sides,
but apparently certain to 60 The heat
of the Seller fire was awful.
A great quantity of spirits stored in
the building made it worse than any
that had preceded 1t.
Chief Kellogg, when 1t was certain
the Seller block must 60 acted
promptly. The three story block was
dynamited, and the work was spIend-
idly done. The building fell in and the
heat at once was perceptibly diminish
ed But for this, the Tribune building
to the south, and the Davidson and
Shenkberg blocks to the west, across
Pierce street, must have gone.
The crisis, however, was not past.
The Tribune building, now became the
key to the situation, the last stand. If
it should take fire it would be almost
certain to spread the flames across
Pierce to the Shenkberg building, and
thence to Davidson's and the rest of
the block.
Long before this situation had been
to the firemen, the volunteer
fire fighters of the Tribune force, aided
by many friends, had recognized the
situation and opened the fight. Hand
grenade skirmishers went to the roof,
where they were soon alternately
and scorching, watersoaked.
shivering and steaming. Other willing
workers formed bucket brigades and,
water to the points of danger
In the different floors, kept every piece
OF exposed woodwork wet. A line of
hose was at length secured and played
OH the rear and north side, in the hands
OF the Tribune volunteers. Books, pap
ers, records, mailing lists, ETC., were
safe places as possible.
Half q dozen times the smoking
woodwork of the east and north sides
of the building broke into flames, but
always there were buckets Of water or
fire grenades in willing hands, and as
often as they started the flames were
When it was possible to bring more
lines Of hose from other places Fire
Chief Kellogg organized for his fight
to save the building, and withdrawing
hose from other places where 1t was
less needed, brought it to bear here.
The firemen were exhausted. but stuck
to their nozzles like grim death till
ready to fall in their tracks; and then
instead Of falling they stayed on. They
made a magnificent fight, and made it
and by saving The Tri-
bune building they performed what
was universally regarded as little
short of miracle. All day The
has been receiving the con-
Of its friends on it's Won
derful good fortune. They are CRATE
fully acknowledged, with the assur-
ances that in addition to luck there
was splendid element of loyalty, de-
termination and good sense on thu
part of employees and the fren,en.
After The Tribune was APPARENT,
saved, the firemen met their last de-
feat in the effort to fight off the flames