The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-07-13
SATURDAY NIGHT FIRE.

Two Buildings on the North Side Of
the Square Totally Destroyed
by Fire Saturday Night.
The north of the square had very
narrow escape from being destroyed by
fire which originated in the grocery
store owned by Keller & Wells shortly
after midnight last Saturday night. The
fire was first discovered by S. E. Bene-
fel and wife who had started home from
their restaurant at twenty-five minutes
past twelve o'clock. When they reached
the middle Of the block on the west side
: Of the square SO they could see beyond
the court house they saw the building
was all on fire, and was blazing bright
II. Mr.. Benefel at once gave the alarm
and many citizens and the fire company
were soon on the scene. From the
start it was seen that nothing could
be saved from the grocery store, and it
was apparent that the two story frame
building just east of it was doomed.
This was occupied by Will Hoffman and
his sister as residence down stairs
and Miss "A. M. .Lemmax had living
rooms and her tailor shop up stairs.
Willing hands soon removed the con-
tents of the house, but of course many
things were badly damaged in the NOV
ing. The fire company had two streams
of water on the buildings, and by hard
work confined the fire to the two frame
buildings, although the windows on the
east side of the two story block occu-
pied by j. A. Harris & Bros, with their
marble works were burned out and it
took the hardest kind of work to keep
the flames out OF this building, which if
, it had burned would surely have taken
with it the entire north side of the
square.
The grocery store in which the fire
originated in a mysterious manner, had
just changed hands couple of times,
having been owned for some time by
Frank Gardner & Co., who sold it to
Lem Vanostrand, who disposed of it a
couple Of days later to G. NJ. Keller. On
Friday Mr., Keller had traded half in
terest in the stock to A. ]. Wells for 80
acres Of land in Eden township. The
stock invoiced something over S1,500l
and they we're fortunate enough to have
81 900 insurance on it IN the Phoenix
Co.. for which L. P. Sigler is agent.
The building occupied by the grocery
was one Of the oldest buildings in Leon,
having been occupied years ago by John
Baldwin as a grocery when it stood
where the Farmers & Traders State
Bank now stands. When the bank was
built it was moved to the north side of
the square and was owned by ]. A. Har-
ris, who estimates his loss at 5000. He
had always carried insurance but the
policy on this building expired short
time ago, and he had neglected to re-
new it.
The two story frame building on the
northeast corner was owned by L. E.
Gassett, who estimates his loss at $500
with no insurance. The occupants of
this building had no insurance and will
lose quite little sum by reason of
their goods being damaged in moving
out SO hastily.
The Leon Telephone Co. sustained
loss of about $2OO'to their lines which
were just east Of the fire, one of their
new cables which carries five of their
rural lines being melted by the heat.
The wind was from the north and this
probably saved the balance Of the north
side of the square, and the buildings
on the east side Of the square, and it
took close watching as it was to save
them, as the burning embers fell all
over them, but men were on the roofs
watching for fire and promptly put out
the blazing embers. 1t was also nec-
essary to watch the buildings on the
SOuUn eluc VI Onc Squdre, DIS Gne 1Fdlne
building occupied by Ross Sanders
paint shop caught fire on the roof, as
did Cores livery barn two blocks south
of the fire, but they were discovered
and put out before they gained any
headway.
The fire demonstrated that while the
Leon fire department does splendid
work with the limited apparatus they
have to fight fire with, the town is con-
fronted with condition which requires
prompt action toward securing another
engine, new hose and other equipment
with which to fight fire. Unless this
is done we will have a fire some of these
nights which will wipe out good share
of the business part Of town and then.
everyone will regret that money was
not invested in some good fire appa-
ratus.
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