The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-12-15

Is Supposed to Have Caused the Con-
fagration-Estimated Loss is
4.
$4,000.
The worst fire in the history

The worst fire in the history
Of East Germantown occurred
at 2 O'Clock yesterday morn
ing. One half a block in the CEN
ter of town was burned TO the ground
and scarcely a thing saved. Forum
ately most of the buildings burned
were covered by insurance. The ORR
gin of the fire is supposed to have
been the work of an incendiary.
The fire started in the grocery
building Of Gipe Brothers and 1t was
thought at first to have been caused
by the fire that was left burning IN
the stove, but the Gipe Brothers say
thre there was not enough fire in this
stove to do any damage. They say
that the fire started on the north wall
on the outer side of the building.
Before locking the store up for the
evening the ash tray was, ,emptled IN
ito the street into the snow and as
the stove was left two-thirds full of
burned Goals, is fifteen feet away
from the north wall of the building
and is surrounded by zinc, they
think it is very improbable that the
fire originated from this source.
The following is the list of build
ings burned down and the estimated
loss and insurance:
Loss Ins.
Walnut Level Hotel ..$3 100 $1,000
Gipe Bros. Store .$1.7OO $l,5OO
Mrs. Carpenters Res. 81 900 S 4OO
Total .......... $500 $1,000
The I. o. O. F. lodge was on the
third story of the old hotel building
and not thing was saved. The two
lower stories of the building We're
occupied by Mr.. Davis, a saloon
keeper, and W. D. Kochers who had
a barber shop on the ground floor.
The hotel was on the east OF the
Cine Brothers store and not a thing
was saved from it. Mr.. Davis and
family escaped from the flames with
only the clothes they had on their
backs. The loss sustained by the L.
O. @. F. lodge is covered by lnsur-
ance amounting to $4,000. The resi-
dence of Mrs. Carpenter was west
of the Gipe Brothers store and was
Quilted from roof to basement. Mrs.
CARPENTER escaped without INJURY
and also managed to save some OF
her belongings.
There is no fire department OR hre
apparatus in East Germantown and
consequently it was impossible for
the residents to fight the flames,
which for awhile threatened the
whole town, and the only thing
that they were able to do was to
keep the buildings near the scene OF
the conhagration, drenched with wa
ter. This was the only thing that pre-
vented every building from being
swallowed up by the fire demon.
When the fire started stiff breeze
aided the flames in gaining headway
and before any one realized the great
danger. the fire had licked it's way
to the Carpenter building and the old
hotel building. A request for assist
anee was sent in to the Combrdge
City fire department but too late to
be of any assistance.
The fire presented brilliant and
alarming appearance. The heavens
reflected a crimson hue and sparks
and chunks of burning wood were
hurled into the air and fell on the
roofs of buildings two and three
squares distant. The town was in a
state of wild excitement and many
people were on the verge of panic.
The fire spasmotically fared out into
small flames until late hour in the
morning.
The two lower floors of the old
hotel building were owned by Lincoln
Hebble and it is not known what he
figures his loss to be. The safe in
the I. o. O. F. hall was left open and