The Lamar register., 1905-11-29
ANOTHER LANDMARK DESTROYED
Fire Once More Takes Out q Largo
Section Of Lamar's Bus
lnoss Houses.
AN unkMowM MAN BURNED.

1t will not be long till Lamar as known
exist. Between enterprising citizens
who tear down to build better houses
and Lamars old time enemy, fire, very
little Of the old town remains and that
little ia fast being removed.
Last night the ninth big fire visited
our city, and 100 feet of two-story frame
business houses on north Main st. were
consumed. The burned area is on the
west side of the street and extends north
from the railroad corner to the new
brick Feast block, and includes the
Traxler block covering so feet. on the
corner, the Cover hotel building and the
Deeter building.
The fire broke out IN Johnny behind
the-Rock's. restaurant in the Deeter
building about 6:15 while they were
serving SUPPER, and was caused by the
explosion Of gasoline stove. For few
minutes it was hoped that the flames
could be stopped, but gases generated
soon carried the flames all over the
building and into the adjoining hotel
building which was run by Mrs. ST.
John as rooming house.
Quickly after the alarm was given the
fire department was on the spot and
soon had three streams playing on the
fire and adjoining property, and through
their great efforts assisted by the citl-
gems everything was sayed that it was
possible to save. No words Of praise
can be too strong to give the fire boys
who carried the hose in where the heat
burned their hands and faces into big
blisters and fought to save other peo-
pies property.
The Feast building just north of the
fire and the frame buildings just oppo-
site were threatened for long time and
were at times on fire but by hard work
were saved. I. ]. Saylers office and
warehouse were directly 10 line Of the
sparks and for some minutes it took
strenuous efforts to keep down the
blazes on the roof, but the wind switch
ed just in the nick Of time and turned
the danger to the Santa Fe depot and
The fire had, however, now spent it's
greatest force and in short time was
under control.
The worst OF the fire lasted less than
an hour but it was one Of the fiercest
the town has ever known. 1t was not
until long after the fire was over that
anyone dreamed there had been any one
burned, but man who had gone to
the Holbert restaurant and registered
at $3.50 in the afternoon as o. w. Hall
was missing. He had taken room and
gone to bed leaving an order to call him
at five this morning. The boy had gone
to his room when the alarm was gwen
and reused him and supposed he was
out, but his chared remains were found
in the ruins in another part Of the build
ing, indicating that he was in a stupor
and had wandered around trying to es-
cape, although no screams were heard
He was stranger here and is thought
to be from Kansas City. He had work
cd one day at the factory. He said he
was going to Trinidad where he had So
cured permanent job.
The Losses on the four buildings will
amount to about $4,000, with insurance
as follows: TraIler $1,000, Cover $1,000,
Deeter $500, The damage to adjacent
buildings is about $1,000 fully covered by
insurance. The buildings were occu-
pied by Johnny's, restaurant and gro
Gerry, Mrs. st. Johns rooming house,
VIM. Holbert's restaurant and rooming
house, Frank Cooks barber shop and
Otto Ziese's tailor shop, besides a num-
Der Of other furnished rooms. Their
losses are hard to estimate but will foot
up several thousand dollars, with only
about $1,000 OF it covered by insurance.
i There are rumors that the screams of
tiger were heard as the corner build
ing was burning, but we are unable to
substantiate this further than there
were some signs lying around that such
an animal existed there.