Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-14
DISTRICT
SUFFERS BAD FIRE
c. j. Lander Drug Store Quilted
by Blaze That Starts in
the Basement
ADJOINING STOCKS DAMAGED
Benedict G. Brintnal, Dry Goods, and
Henry Pappe, Clothing, Have Heavy
Damage From smoke-Upstairs Of
fees and Easements West Damaged
by Smoke and Water--oriein IN
known.

known.
One of the worst fires in the bust
ness district in recent years started
late Wednesday night in the basement
Main street, and by 5 o'clock this
morning. when finally under control.
had done damage amounting to sew
eral Thousand dollars. No estimates
of the different losses have been made
by owners of the stocks damaged, but
all of the heavier losses are fully COW
cred by insurance. The origin is un-
known to any degree Of certainty.
In the Lander basement, where the
fire originated, employees of the Lem
nox Furnace Company, in the persons
of Factory Superintendent John Zuch.
II. L. Slime, u. S. Bentley and F. E.
Smith, had been at work all day and
water connection for a new furnace
lUS1I Ilctu U60ll lSlttuCu. o0l IlO AZ .
was built in the furnace because the
job could not he completed until today.
MIR. Zuch and Mr.. Smith quit work
shortly after 8 o'clock and MI. Slime
and Mr.. Bentley remained until almost
1880 in order to complete the job to-
day. Mr.. Lander notified the men
that he wanted to close his store, and
they left the basement at 11:20. Mr..
Lander closed tine store at 1880, and
by the time he had reached home and
partially prepared himself for bed, at
1850, the alarm of fire was sounded.
Fire Chief Kirby had inspected the
premises Wednesday morning and
finding the basement in bad condition
Mr.. Lander had promised to have it
cleaned up Immediately. The fire,
did not start in this combus-
tible material, for this was not burned
at all. Because of Chief Kirby's
warming the furnace men exercised
great caution and Mr. Slime insists
that no light was left in any place.
There were no electric lights in the
basement but there were gas burners.
The fact that the fire made such head
way in SO short a time can not be ac-,
counted for, as neither the furnace
men nor Mr.. Lander. who left after
they did, smelled any smoke.
The fire was discovered by atrayel-5
ing man on his way to the Pilgrim. He
saw the smoke coming out of the base
ment window, and stepped into the
Pfster to report it. The Pfster in
formed Mrs. Mary Conkling, night
operator ait the Marshall central sta
ton. and she called the fire depart
ment.
Fire Even Then Beyond Control.
Even tho it had been but few mo-
ments since any signs of fire had been
discovered, the blaze was then beyond
immediate control. The smoke was SO
thick that the firemen could not live in
it, altllo chemicals and water enabled
them to fight their way, inch by inch,
thru the basement, in the course Of
time The flames had eaten their way
thru the floor at point about the mid
thru the store into the office of DR.. w.
S. Devine, ON the second floor. BY hard
fighting the department. managed to
get the blaze under control, and an out
alarm was sounded An explosion of
gasoline, back of the prescription case,
renewed the blaze, and it was two or
three hours before the fire was finally
and absolutely under control. When
the. gasoline exploded the fire shot up
ward thru the floor again, into the Of
fees above eating into the floor of one
Of DR.. w. G. Payne's rooms.
Adjoining Stocks Damaged.
Strange as it may seem not an ounce
of water damage was suffered east of
the Lander store, all Of it running to-
ward the west. The dry goods store Of
Benedict & Brintnafl, to the east, was
filed with smoke and the damage to
the stock here Is heavy. Henry Pap
pes clothing store, to the west, was
also filled with smoke, but the room
being shorter the employees were able
to get to the rear doors and windows
and let the smoke out before it settled.
This was not possible in the Benedict
& Brintnall room because Of it's
In Benedict & Brintlalls the heat was
blistered.
Firemen Did Great Work.
No better work in fighting an OBJ
blaze has ever been done in
Marshalltown than in Wednesday
nights fire The damage to the build
ing is mparatively small, and it is
a wonder, from the character of the
fire and it's location that the entire
block was not wiped out A fire wall
east of the Benedict & Brintnal1 store
saved A. NJ Friend, & Sons from any
smoke damage. altho some smoke a. /
seep into the room.
The Different Losses.
Not one of the owners of stocks
makes any estimate of the damage in
Cured. The three principal losses.
Lander's Benedict & Brintnalls and
Henry Pappe's, can not be ascertain
ed until the stocks are invoiced and
something definite as to the actual
damage is learned. ALI, however are
fully covered by insurance. Mr.. Lam
der's stock is valued at $4,000, on
which he has $4,000 insurance. Ben
edict & Brintnalls stock. larger at
this season of the year than any 9TH
er. is placed at from $4,000 to 100000.
They carry 100000 insurance. Henry
Pappe's insurance amounts to 100000.
The Mcbride & Will Drug Company,
on the corner east. are losers in the
sum of about $500. owing to water
damage. Their basement was filled
with fourteen inches of water. which
entered the department containing
,1,nn 80