Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1905-02-03
Family Escapes From Burning
Building Just in Time
Fire Starts In Office Of Feed Store Below and
in an Hour the Building is in Ashes...
Firemen Save Near Buildings
Ranka Johnson's Building lire
parably Damaged
Republican Office Suffers Loss Of Plate Glass
Front from lieat...Losses Partly Gov.
cred with Insurance

The -four and feed store of w. b.
Walker now lies in ashes, and the
building next door of Miss Ranka
johnson might as we'll be. Mr.
Walker, wife and daughter just es
capped from their building in time to
save their lives.
The fire was discovered by some
outsiders shortly after three o'clock
in the morning. tits believed to have
started from the Office stove under.
meath, and when first seen the lower
part was all aflame. While the pre-
liminaries we're going on outside there
was something doing on the inside
The Walker family occupied the up
per part as q dwelling, and the father
was aroused by smoke in the chamber.
He got up, called to his wife, aad be-
gan dressing himself. Realizing the
imminent danger, he grabbed q
bushel basket near by with some OF
his little girls clothing, placed the
girl in it, again aroused his wife and
made hurried exit. Mrs. Walker
was just able to get out in her night
clothes, and was obliged to run half
block in her bare feet to the rooms
of Mrs. Clark in the Andrews block,
where the family found shelter. Il
was a rather thrilling experience, the
thermometer at the time registering
about 20 degrees below zero.
The fire bell brought out some ol
the fremen and many citizens, but toe
late to save the Walker building
which was then q mass of flames
The mon then set to work to save the
buildings near By. In this the light
breeze which was blowing, greatly
favored them. Ranka Johnson'e
building lay in the path Of the fire
and was enveloped in flames time and
again. The heat from the big fire
made the north side ani roof mass
of cinders, but the firemen were able
to keep the building in shape, altho
the fire and water left it almos
total wreck. Willing hands savec
nearly all of Miss Johnson's furniture
which was carried into the street
Miss johnson was the only inmate
and had plenty of time to escape.
| The wind came from the northeas
at the beginning Of the fire and tn
intense heat broke the glass front Of
the Republican Office, across tn
street. Not pane Of glass below
was saved. The wind later veereo
to the northwest.
The main efforts to save the adjoin
ing buildings we're concentrated OF
the north side, where the Argyle barr
stands just across the alley. Hat
this caught fire the whole busines
portion of the city lay in danger o
being wiped out. These building
were kept we'll drenched with water
which left an ice on the roofs ant
sides. This made them fire proc
where far enough from the excesslv
heat.
Everything was lost in the Wake
building, except few clothes the famil
carried with them. Mr.. Walker place
his total loss at $500. He carries
Isl, ,45O in insurance $500 on building
$500 on stock. aud $3.50 on furniture
Loss, 6l,O5O.
Miss johnson estimates her loss Al
$1,000. Insurance E5O-$600 O
building aud $50 on furniture. Los
$3.50.
The damage on Union Temple
fully covered by insurance.
The books and papers id the Wall
r!er safe were taken out in good shspt