Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-07
RAND BLOCK HURNs-oTHER
BUILDINGS DAMAeED-Loss
is HEAVY.
TOTAL REACHES S25O,OOO
Quarter Of Million Dollars Worth Of
Property Goes Up in Smoke-cause
is afMystery-llI Fated Buildings Lo-
Gated on jefferson and Fourth.

tS0sSA VII SSuGToON dtlO EOQTIIls A
Burlington, Jan. 6.-(Special LOSS.
es which will aggregate almost $780,
600, resulted from the burning last
night of the big Rand block, located on
Jefferson and Fourth streets In this
city, and other smaller structures
inside the 81" formed by the larger
one. The fire was fed by stocks OF
furniture. fur, and other combustible
materials, and though the fire depart
ment worked valiantly, the flames
were too powerful to be stopped soon.
and before they were brought under
control heavy losses had been sustain-
ed. The origin of the fire is a mystery.
Loss and Insurance.
Several Of the property owners are
as yet unable or unwilling to give In
| formation relative to losses or insur-
ance. The loss on building was
roughly estimated at from $4,000 to
100000, while the loss on stocks, 1T
was said, would probably 60 above
$780, 900. Nor were the insurance men
lin position to give out much definite
information. 1t is understood that the
insurance on the Jefferson street por-
| tion of the building is $4,000, while
that on the Fourth street portion OF
the building Is about 1000 A con.
servative estimate would place value
of $50,0O0 to $50, 900 upon the building.
The damage to the Poule store build-
ing, which is part of the Albion Par
sons estate, to the Klein building and
| to other neighboring structures, will
bring the loss on buildings UP to $780,
600, If not above.
| Hard to Estimate Insurance.
| Mt. will be necessary to look up the
policies and to go into details to ar
riye at even an approximate estimates.
1t Is said that f. w, Chamberlain's
/ agency has $4,000 on the Wyman &
Rand building and stock; r. M. Green
$4,000 on Wyman & Rand stock, moth
ing on the building. The e. s.
Phelps agency carried about $25,G00
on building and stock, Hutchinson &
/ Wesner about S25,000. The aggregate
Of the other agencies must be consid-
cradle.
There are minor losses. The rear
OF the Klein building was damaged by
the falling east wall. 1t is insured in
various agencies, Sam Blanke having
| $1,000 on the Alley Inn; Panther also
carried insurance. There will prob
ably he damage to the Woellhalf build
4 ing adjoining the Jefferson street front
of the .Wyman & Rand structure on
the north and probably the O'Brien
block and it's tenants have suffered
some damage. Peter Fawcett, McEl-
haney the plumber, Waizenegger q
4 Smith are among the losers.
! Sone of the Losses.
4 John Curran estimated the damage
4 to his stock at $11 1000. DR.. Woodbury's
! pretty suite of Office rooms and Miss
Elsie Werthmueller's studio were als6
about complete wreck. Mr.. Paule,
I! the jeweler, was unable to give an es.
4 timate Of loss or insurance. Mr.. Ritch-
I ey stated that his firm was faily well
4 insured. Fl. Ranke was considerably
short Of insurance on his big stock and
4 was about to place an additional S1O.-
900; in fact, had made up his mind to
do SO today. In all probability almost
4 every building and contents in the
4 block will report damage, while there
will also be losses in the adjoining
block across the alley.
Other Losses.
Other more or less heavy losses will
be DR.. Harrell and other tenants in the
Parsons building; Mrs. Harter will
have damage by smoke and water; and
DR.. Sotoo, Miss Katherine Scott, ana
Senator Harper have losses that will
be quite heavy.
The insurance on the Rand building
was stated by Frank ]. Killing at S26,-
600; the value of the building at about
4 100000.
Insurance Was Light.
/ An insurance man said The insur-
ance was light, because the rates had
4 been raised The rates had been
raised because the buildings were con-
! nected by passage-ways, which in-
crease the danger very much. The
owners and tenants reduced their in-
surance very materially when the
rates were raised. but were just be-
ginning to again increase their pro-
4 lection.
Fire Discovered at 10 O'clock.
+ A few minutes after 10 O'Clock three
or four persons discovered the fire.
and Immediately gave an alarm. Al
most instantly there was crash AS IL
a cannon had been fired. The magnifi.
4 cent plate glass front was shivered.
land volume of fire shot out as far as
A the street car track.
The. big structure was filed with
a combustibles from the cellar up, and
from the very beginning of the fight it
WAS apparent@that the firemen would
de well ii they succeeded in combining
q 1.-THE iire to the Wyman &c Rand building
proper.
Z Walls Fall With Crash.
y fter the fire had heen hIa Yin y nor