The Grit-advocate., 1905-08-18
Echoes of The IddinrS Fire

tor and lumber sheds last Thursday
was not so great as was at first estl'
mated. Mr.. Iddings arrived in jules
burg on the afternoon train while tile
fire was still burning, and to The Grit
Advocate editor he stated that, while
his loss was quite heavy, it would hut
reach $1J, 10000. Nothing in the yard
excepting some coal and cement, and
a small amount of building material IN
the Office building, was saved. HAD
the Office building been constructed Of
other material than cement blocks II
would undoubtedly have burned, and
the loss to Mr.. IddingS would have
been total. If this building had burn
ed the greater part Of the business
section OF the town would also have
burned for it would have been almost
| impossible to have saved the buildings
on the east side of Cedar street had
the fire started in them. Owing to
the fact that the insurance policies
held by Mr. Iddings on the elevator
had net been transferred after the
| building was removed to the north
side of the track, it is not likely that
any part Of the loss will be paid by the
companies.
The work of reconstructing the
lumber yards was commenced immed-
lately and in u few days sufficient ma
terial will be on the ground to supply
the demands of all customers. The
elevator will be rebuilt, but as it is
impossible to get it in shape to handle
this seasons crop of grain, work on
this will not be started until the oth.
er buildings are constructed.
Only the efficient work done by the
| citizens in pumping and carrying wat
er saved the buildings north Of tie
lumber yard. In this work everybody
joined with willingness, and many
women did mems work at the pump.
The fire brought to the attention Of
everybody the great need of SOM
kind of fire protection for the town.
Under present conditions it is impos-
Sible to eXtinguish a fire in building
after it gets good start, and it is a
very difficult matter to check fire At
all unleSs the wind is favorable, even
though u street may be between the
fire and other buildings. Some meas
ure should be taken at once to secure
a system of water works for the town,
If for no other reason than to furnish
protection against fire.
Several Of the merchants on the east
side Of Cedar street removed the great
er part Of their stocks of goods during
the gre. L. N. Adamson & Son haul
ed the larger part of their dry goods
and clothing to their home. o. J.
Meline also removed his harness aud
saddlery stock from his store rooll
Until the wind changed from the east
to the south it looked as though every
business house in town, with the eX-
cepton Of that Of j. Brant, would be
burned.
Late in the event ,g the fire depart
|
Of hose and 800 feet of fire hose was
sent down on a freight train. This
arrived about II O'Clock and it was
connected with the pump at the Union
Pacific station and used to eXtinguish
the burning piles of lumber and coal.
I. V. Grantiam, acting agent for the
railroad company, asked Sidney for
assistance during the fire and that
town cheerfully offered to lend all the
aid possible. However, no engine
could be secured to transport the fire
company, consequently it could not be
sent.
During the progress CT the fire the
old frame annex to the Brown hotel
eau ht fire and was only saved from
destruction by the quick work Of the
bucket brigade. The dwelling house
Of a. G. Cornish, two blocks northeast
OF the 1ddings lumber yards also
caught fire in the roof, but was saved
from burning by the prompt appIca-
tion of a few buckets of water.
Notice of Meeting OF Board of
Eqalizatiou.
| The county cOmmi sSioners will meet
as board of equalization for the ad-
justment and equalization Of the as
sessment among the several taxpayers
Of the county.
This meeting will commence on the
first tuesday in September, and con
tinue not less than three nor more
than ten consecutive days, and on the
third Tuesday in Septemb Der, and con-
| tinue not less than two nor more than
| f1,I, i..1, l.,,