Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-03-08
A Fatal Fire.

AAAf LII tAlO 01Ob til1C Al thO mo
tory of our little city, the con-
flagration occasioned the loss of a
human life. About one o'clock
Tuesday morning people on Main
street were aroused from their
slumbers by the cry of "4ire!" An
investigation revealed that the
building two doors south of the
REGISTER office, occupied by VIM.
Christ as a bakery and residence,
was in flames. The discovery was
made by Mrs. Christ, who hastily
awakened Mr.. Christ, their two
children, the baker, Gus. Blaser,
and a boy, Chas. Staab, who
worked about the bakery. They
hurriedly donned their clothes and
gave the alarm. Guns were fired,
refractory whistle blown and peo-
pie were soon rushing to the scene
from all over the Valley. But by
this time the flames had gained
such Roadway that the building
was doomed. 1t was also APP
parent that the building occupied
by MI. j. Hummel as a grocery
store on the north, Fred Kindell's
shoe store, Chas. MadInger's bar
Der shop and the residence of
Fred. Kindell, Jr., on the south
were certain of destruction. The
Hummel store was but ten feet
away from the bakery building
and the building on the south was
attached to the bakery. Realizing
that it was impossible to save any
of these structures, work was be-
gun clearing the houses of their
contents and to prevent the spread
ing of the fire to adjacent prop
erty. And manfully the battle
was waged. The REGISTER build
ing on the north, and the drug
store, the New Commercial Hotel
and Gay & Kindell's store on the
west, were in most danger, and
only by heroic efforts were they
saved. In about an hour the
flames were under control. When
the excitement had somewhat sub
sided Mrs. Christ observed that
her husband had not been seen
since the first alarm was given: A
search was instituted for him
among the crowd but nowhere
could he be found. Then came
the dread that some fatality had
overtaken him. AS the search
was prolonged and no tidings yer
secured of the missing man the
dread took the nature of a GER
tainty. In an hour more the
flames had cooled down sufficient
ly to permit an examination of the
premises, and there, about mid.
way between the bakery shop
building and the oven were found
the charred remains of the miss
ing man. The body was burned
to a crisp and beyond recognition.
How Mr.. Christ happened to meet
his death in this way will prob
ably never be known. No one saw
him after the first alarm was given.
It is thought probably he went
back into the house after first maxi
ing his escape to loosen a couple
Of dogs that were tied in the back
yard. While in there he was
overcome by the heat and smoke,
and unable to make his way out.
A fire is always terrible. The de-
struction of home and property is
hard to bear. But when it is &C.
companied by the loss of human
life the cup of misery is almost
complete. The hearts of our peo-
pie go out to Mrs. Christ and her
orphaned children in their. great
sorrow.
NOTES.
How the fire originated is not
known. 1t is thought possibly,
though, from a stove in the bake
shop in the rear of the building
adjacent to the oven. Mrs. Christ
says, however, that when she first
made the discovery there seemed
to be more fire upstairs than
down. AS the stove spoken of
was on the lower floor, this seems
to discredit the theory that the
fire came from the stove.
The building occupied by MI.
Hummel was the property of Mrs.
Ann Logan of Belleview; the
bakery building belonged to A.
Roehry, and Fred Kindell, ST.,
was the owner of the other prop
erty destroyed. Mr.. Hummel's
stock was a complete loss, as were
the contents of the bakery. Most
of the stock was taken out Of the
shoe store, and the furniture in
Madlinger's barber shop and Fred
Kindell's residence was practi-
cally all saved. The total loss we
would estimate at about $4,000.
There was but $1,000 insurance,
carried by Fred. Kindell on his
buildings. Mr.. Hummel, we un-
derstand, had insurance on his
stock until about two weeks ago.
The drug store and DR.. Gays
office probably Jared worse than
any Of the adjacent buildings. AL
the large plate glass windows were
broken by the heat and the paint
in front was badly scorched and
pealed. The glass in the front OF
the New Commercial Hotel and
Gay & Kindell's front were dam
aged some.
Fred Kindell will open his shoe
store in the building occupied by
Jos. Madlinger, next to Gay &
Kindell's. Fred Kindell, Jr,, will
keep house in the rooms over the
store. I
The buildings destroyed were
NEARLY all old landmarks. Fred,
Kindell's house with the excep-
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