Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-12-13

the burning building, which, not counting the cellar or basement,
cept. four small windows in the basement upon a level with the
Iground, the northern and southern walls had no apertures, all the light
to the store and the second story being admitted from the east and
room of the basement, was first discovered by the Waterman at the
hub factory, who Immediately sounded the alarm. VIM. Henson and
lGrover Fits, employees of the Lopez Store Company, were the first to
reach the building. They forced open the door opening from the
burning room, and say if the fire engine had been at hand they could
the FIRE that before the engine could be brought from the place where
lit was housed in the south end of town, the building was beyond all
by. The Grimm and WEIGH wooden structures on the south and north
of the burning store house were in the mostimminent danger, and the
Bradley residence and office on the west OF the street were also i'm.
periIed. But all were saved by the exerhons of the "bucket brigade"
with the aid of the little engine which six nights before had saved the
Riley house from utter destruction. Fortunately there was no wind to
watt the flames in either direction. A fercer fire l never saw than was
this after it had eaten its way into the upper floors. The brick over
the glass front, being supported by wooden columns and Orders, gave
way in about forty minutes and the whole of the front fell to the
ground, as did a portion of the 13-inch partition wall running east and
west through the building. But the north, south and east outside 49,
inch walls remained in position, fortunately for the adjoining build
lings. Inside, the destruction was complete, not a dollars worth being
saved, a $4,000 or $4,000 stock of merchandise being consumed, along
with the fixtures.
day noon, and on returning Tuesday night, only a mass of ruins and
blackened walls remained to tell of his late place Of business.
The Halter store, as tits called, was the Oldest business structure
in Ironton. It was built by Tong & Carson in 1853, when the town
was newly laid out, and the Iron Mountain Railway just built to Pilot
Knob, which was for twelve years its southern terminus. The build
ing has changed owners several times since then, its projectors ceasing
business shortly after the civil war began 1t was occupied at one
time by MI. L G. Whitworth, ST., then in partnership with a man
named Leatherbury, in the mercantile business. After one or TWO
other changes in occupancy it was bought by the late Nathan II. Hal
Ter, and held by him and his heirs until about a year ago, when they
sold it to a gentleman from East Louis, the present proprietor. 1t was
a sturdy landmark, honestly built, and would have withstood the
ordinary mutations OF time another fifty years.
The origin of the fire is a mystery that-ike a thousand others of
on the floor to be ignied by a g nawing rat, spontaneous combustion,
or any of a dozen possibilities might easily account for it. An hour
lbefore the alarm was given Mr.. Henson, returning from Pilot Knob,
noted the smell of gasoline in the rear of the premises-probably from
a leaking tank-but how became the gas ignited? Thieves? Possibly.
building and stock, of which SO, 800 is carried by the Etna and $4,000
by the Hartford and the Queen.