Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-26

fighters and the structure was Quilted.
Altho nearly every plate glass in the
east front of the now Davidson build
Ing, across Pierce street, was broken,
the flames were kept from crossing the
street.
Dynamiting Walls.
To protect people from the menace
of the brick and stone walls OF the
buildings Quilted by fire. Mayor Sears
yesterday afternoon had men blowing
down the walls with dynamite. The
detonations sounded like the booming
Of cannon and shook the earth.
After the recent $6,000,000 fire In
Minneapolis an additional disaster fol-
lowed when the walls Of one Of the
ruined buildings fell and inJuring many
sleping occupants. 1t is the recollec-
ton Of this calamity that causes the
local authorities to take the precautioa
OF demolishing all the standing walls
in the burned section.
The first building attacked was the
Toy block. With n thunderous roar the
rear wall tottered moment and then
fell with resounding crash. The Boil
ton and Commercial blocks were treat
ed similarly.
Crowds OF people watched the work
OF the dynamiters and the police had to
drive them back to keep them from be-
ing injured by flying debris.
The city council met at o'clock last
night to devise some means of Kidding
the city of the menacing ruins OF the
fire. The high wall Of the Toy build
Ing was the particular object OF dis
cussion, and no conclusion was arrived
at The use of dynamite In the des-
tIuction OF some of the standing walls
has been SO successful that 1t will
probably be resorted to in the case Of
the Toy building wall.
A number of the lower walls will be
pulled down with ropes, but the high
err ones will have to be blown down.
The work on the Bolton block yester-
day afternoon was very successful.
This morning at 10 o'clock at the
Mondamin hotel the members OF the
city council will confer with J. r..
Toy by appointment in regard to tho
disposal of the remaining wall OF the
Toy building. At that time something
aennite will be determined upon. 1t
Is almost assured that the wall will be
removed by dynamite, as 1t Is impos
siblc to pull 1t down.
During the blasting. Archie Fletcher,
of 1920 West Fifth street, who was
standing near the offices Of the Uni
ted States Express Company in Fourth
street was struck on the left shoulder
by flying brick and sustained sew
ere cut. 1t was lucky for him that
ht q r,1 tho IN,
might have been more serious.
One woman who was nearby had her
purse struck from her hand by a flying
piece of brick.
Woman May Have Persisted.
1t is practically certain that another
life was lost when the Massachusetts
block went up in flames. 1t Is that of
a woman. and her identity as yet is
not known. She went down to a fiery
end when the east end of the building
fell apart.
First appearing at a corner window
on the sixth floor she gazed out thru
,eching smoke and flame. Her figure
vas plainly discernible to number of
people. She disappeared for moment,
evidently driven from that window by
The heat. Again she appeared at a
window further north. The immense
crowds of smoke made her visible only
at moments.
Utter despair was portrayed in her
attitude and she seemed resigned to her
fate. She seemed to watch the pro-
gress OF the flames with impersonal
interest. Looking across Jackson street
Ut the Toy building burning, she shield
ed her own form from the heat Of the
flames approaching her from the rear
AS the wall of the building went
down with rending crash, she disap-
peared. She was not seen again. She
evidently went down with the wall, and
the floors and her body is now without
doubt but charred remains in the ruins
These are still smoking with heat and
it is impossible as yet to make any eff
fort for the recovery of the corpse.
The woman was seen at the window
and watched until her disappearance
by w. D. Spencer, Of 814 West Fourth
street; n. L. Schwann. Of Morningside
and others. 1t was an utter impossible
ity to aid her in any way and her dis
appearance occurred at a time when
the fire was at it's height, and when the
women and children were being taken
down the fire escape to the rear Of the
building.
There is a possibility that the wo-
man made her way to the rear Of the
building and made her way to safety
with the balance Of the women and
children. But most of those who saw
her think that she was cut off from the
fire escape by flames and that she went
to her death when the walls fell. It Is
not known as yet If anybody is missing
among the tenants of the i'll fated
building. When the former occupants
are traced some light may be thrown
upon the matter.
WAS A FAST RUM