Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-15
FIRE IN BUSINESS DISTRICT RE.
Suits IN DAMAGE AMOUNT.
ING TO $4,000.
THREE MEN ARE KILLED
Walls Fall With Crash and Bury Fire.
mon With Fatal Results--Little Babe
cremated at atMarshailtown--B Business
Block Burns at Stamford, Comm
Heavy Loss at st. Louis.

Minneapolis. Dec IA. The total
loss by the fire early today which de-
stroyed the Boutell Bros. furniture
store, the Peck Photograph Supply
house and the Bintliff Manufacturing
Co. plant and damaged the Powers
Mercantile Co., was about $727,000.
Three Men Killed.
Three members Of the insurance pa
troll were killed. They were:
JACOB MILLER.
JOHN FELLOWS.
4 H. j. BUCKLEY.
The Injured.
The injured are:
Fred Kircheff.
Tony Wilson.
Lieutenant J. P. Barrett.
All these We're firemen.
The heaviest losers follow:
Hale Homestead Co.. of Minneapolias
three buildings, $225,0O0.
The Powers Co., $4,000.
o. H. Peck Co., $45,000.
Boutell Bros. 100000.
Bintliff Manufacturing Co., $4,000.
Miscellaneous losses, SIT 1000 s
The total losses are $4,000, and
the insurance S605,000.
Starts In Peck's Store.
The fire was discovered at 10:s0
o'clock last night In Peck's
optical instrument store, at
Fifth street, south, in the rear
of Boutell Bros establishment at First
avenue. south, and Fifth street. A
small fire in itself, 1T got beyond the
control Of the firemen and attacked
Boutell Bros house furnishing estah.
lishment. The big store, flied with
draperies and rugs. nung from display
racks, was easy prey for the flames.
and at1k o'clock was hopelessly ruined.
Walls Fall With Crash.
With the fremen still working lon
Boutell Bros. building, the walls fell
with crash, and 1t was then that the
fatalities occurred
The fire spread to the New England
house-furnishing establishment across
the street from the Boute1l Bros store.
Then it leaped to the Powers Mercans
tile company's department store.
The district where the fire began ID
closely built together of brick and
stone structures, and some of them,
from an architectural standpoint, tho
handsomest in the city. The high wind
carried burning brands and sparks in
all directions ,and m any incipient blazeU
were lit within a radius Of four blockA
around. The principal newspapers OF
the city were located but block away
from the scene Of the fire, and were
for a time thought to be in imminent
danger.
The Northwestern National bank
building, the Phoenix Office building,
the National Bank Of Commerce, the
New York Life's building and many
other big office buildings were within
the fire, zone, and for time seemed
to be in danger OF being wiped out.
st. Paul Firemen Give Aid.
AS soon as the extent of the fire was
seen, an appeal for assistance was
made to the st. Paul department and
two steamers and crews were sent BY
special train.
The cold weather and the high wind
deferred the f1remen to great extent
In their efforts to subdue the flames,
but fortunately the wind died down
about 2 o'clock and the frem en- were
able to gain control Of the flames soon
afterward.
L
Marshalltown, Dec. a. Especial.
Two small children Of William San.
! ders. living near Steamboat Rock, set
fire to a cradle in which the 10-months.
old babe was sleeping and burned the
little one to death The mother had
left the child in the children's care
to go on an errand The fire was un-
doubtedly accidental.
Business Block Is Burned.
Stamford, Conn, Dec. 1.-THE
Grand opera house building, contain.
ling theatre, number Of offices, two
stores and the Odd Fellows hall.
burned today with a loss OF $4,000.
City Water Tank Destroyed.
Cedar Falls. Dec. 14.-The city
water tank at New Hartford, 100 feet
high, burned to the ground late yes.
Iterday afternoon The fire was
caused by the explosion of gasoline
lamp. The loss is $1,000.
jefferson Barracks Scorched.
st. Louis, Dec. 14.-The main build-
ling and the west wing OF the large
troops building at Jefferson barracks
were completely destroyed by fire last
night, resulting in loss of $4,000,
The buildings were occupied by troops
e and III of the Eighth cavalry.
The fire was discovered shortly
after the men returned from mess, and
it is believed that it was caused by
the explosion of gasoline stove. The
men, with few exceptions, saved their
private property and that belonging to
h frNf p. 8