Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-05
HEAVY FIRE LOSS
FOR DES MONIES.
The Grand Opera House De-
stroyed, Causing a Loss
of 100000
HAVE MANY MARROW ESCAPES
Blaze We'll Under Way Before pis-
covered and Number Of People Sleeps
ing in tho Buildings Compelled to
Make Their Way Out Clad ii only
Their Night Clothes.

| Des Moines, March 5.-Fire Of un-
known origin, destroyed the Grand
opera house and did twenty-five tllou-
sand dollars damage to the obserya.
tory building early today. The total
loss Is eighty thousand dollars. The
effects of the opera troupe were de-
stroyed.
| The origin of the fire is not known.
but it broke out in the store room
occupied by the Higgins & Bryant drug
store at 316 Fourth street and burst
thru the three stories and roof ,of the
building before an alarm could be
| turned in and SO suddenly that three
families living in the Grand opera
house block escaped only in their night
clothing.
| The fire was discovered by Mrs. =.
A: Clark, who with her daughter occu-
pied the rooms on the second floor
of the Grand opera house building at
the side next the Observatory building.
They were awakened by several sharp
crashes in the store below them and
| found the room filled with smoke which
was pouring up thru the floor.
Many Marrow Escapes.
Jumping from their beds, without
| stopping to dress, they rushed screams
ing down the hallway, awakening the
two families on the floor above by their
cries. Gus F. Miller occupied the
rooms at the south Of the third floor
and escaped only in his trousers and
overcoat, and with none Of his possess
sions except his watch. W.. A. Fox,
wife, and daughter, who occupied the
rooms at the north OF the third floor.
escaped only In their night clothing,
and were barely In time to reach th6
street as the flames swept up the STARE
ways, and ate thru the floors.
| A general call was turned In, and
every piece Of fire fighting apparatus II
the city was rushed to the place With
out delay. As the first streams OF WA
ter were turned into the furious hameA
the fire seemed to take a fresh start
and burst with roar from every win-
dow on the Fourth street and both al.
| ley sides Of the building.
| Five minutes later an explosion from
| the rear of the theater sent the stage
room hurtling in a myriad Of fiery em-
bers into the sky, and tongues OF
| flames leaped up the side Of the OBJ
servatory building.
| Up on the fifth story of the Fourth
street fire escape Of the big office
building little group Of firemen were
directing stream OF water into the
seething furnace below, but even as
they worked the flames curled UP to
the ninth story roof OF the building,
| lighting up the fourteen story tower.
and burst into the windows Of all the
offices on the south side Of the build-
Ing frem the fifth floor upwards.
! Following 10 light estimate Of the
firms and persons affected by the dre:
| Foster Amusement Company.
| Nutter Tailoring Company.
Higgins Pharmacy Company.
Carroll Wright, offices.
| Central Life Assurance Company.
Iowa Grain Dealers Association, ofs
fees.
John Macvicar, office.
A large number Of insurance OFFICES
extending from fifth to ninth floor
/ ALL tenants In the Grand Opera
House block.
The lower floors OF the Observatory
building were not injured.
The extent OF damage to the Observe
atory building cannot be learned, but
the offices on the south side OF the
building are totally destroyed. those
from the fifth floor up being gutted by
the flames, while those below havo
been drenched with thousands Of gall
| Ions Of water It is not believed at this
| time that the walls OF the Observatory
hu,Idine are seriously damaged.