Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-05-03
KAUFER, SMITHING
STORE DESTROYED
FIFE BREAKS OUT IN BASEMENT
ND SOON ENTIRE BUILDING IS
WRAPPED IN FLAMES.
LOSS MAY REACH 100000.
Neighboring Property in Great Danger
Girls Flee in Terror from Whole
sale Millinery.

MILWAUKEE. Wis. April p. y
fire which started in the basement of
the building at $40 Broadway, occupied
by Kaufer, Smithing 4 Co., auction
GERS, spread rapidly to every portion of
the structure and soon threatened the
block with destruction this afternoon.
The building was filled with second
hand articles of all descriptions. Much
Of it was of highly infammable nature
and the when the fire department arrived
on the scene Il few minutes after !
o'clock, the fire and smoke pouring from
every floor warned the chiefs to send i'll
Il second alarm.
Girls in a Panic.
The smoke creR into the building on
the south occupied by the wholesale mil
Inery firm of Blumenfeld, Locher &
Brown, where several hundred girls are
employed, and a panic was started The
girls fed in fright from the place, many
OF them screaming with terror.
Defective Wiring the Cause.
1t is supposed that the blaze was start
ed by defective wiring in the basement.
1t gained rapid Roadway owing to the
miscellaneous assortment of goods stored
there Old furniture, mattresses and SINH
lar articles comprised the bulk of the
stock, which furnished food for the
flames.
The fire was communicated to the
building OH the north occupied by the
Hennecke Iron Works and prompt meas
ures were taken to save the structure.
Loss Will Be 100000.
The block occupied by Kaufer Smith
ing y Co. was owned by the estate of
Emil Schneider and was in the hands
OF the late John Barth as agent. 1t was
an old substantial block valued at $7O,-
900.
The building will be completely Quilted,
before the flames can be extinguished
The. stock of the firm OF Kaufer,
Smithlng u Co. was valued at $4,000,
fully insured. The goods were held in
storage and on consignment to be sold at
auction.
1T is estimated that the total loss will
exceed 100000.
Basement Like Furnace.
The basement appeared like a blast
furnace immense, clouds of dense black
smoke being forced from both the front
| and rear basement windows. The great
est amount of smoke came from the
basement and fourth floor windows.
Several small explosions were heard
from time to time but it is not known
that any explosives or chemicals were
stored il the building 1t was imDOssi-
bic for the men to reach the interior of
the building except at the intermediate
floors and ladders were placed at the
front and rear from which numerous
pipe lines threw great quantities of wa
ter into the flames.
The three-story brick store north Of
| the burning building is occupied by the
Hennecke company dealers in art statu-
airy and manufacturers of iron work
The building is owned by the Z. BOs-
worth estate.
Several Firemen Injured
Several fremen were injured during
| the fire, necessitating their removal to
the Emergency hospital. They We're:
John Mccarthy, pipeman. Engine COM
| pany No. 0, overcome by smoke.
David Rupert, lieutenant, No. 8, injured
I in left foot.
Cut by Plate Glass.
Rupert was cut by flying gIas, his
hands, feet and face being badly cut by
the heavy pieces of plate glass which fell
| when one of the large windows broke
under the Water-pressure. He and Nc
| Carthy We're taken by ambulance to
the emergency hospital.
| 4 number of other men were slightly
cut about the hands and face by glass
| but not seriously enough to cause them
| to desst in their efforts against the
! flames.
The insurance patrols succeeded in
| completing their work in covering all of
| the stock in the neighboring stores with
tarpaulins before = o'clock, thus saving
the stock from the torrents of water
which leaked through the ceilings.
Frank Mccullough Overcome
Frank Mccullough of Company No 10
was partly overcome by smoke at 3:1J.
IL of bo hull
ing, and revived, but was unable to con-
| tinue work at the fire for over half an
| hour.
Several fremen came in contact with
| live electric wires in the basement. burn
ing their hands severely. The wires were
not cut until nearly o'clock as the fire
men were told that the current had been
| shut off.
Fire Under Control
At 80 the fire was apparently under
| control and the immense clouds of smoke
! issuing from the basement. had subsidized
! sufficiently to permit the tiremen to APP
| proach close enough to direct the streams
of water.
Thousands See Blaze.
Thousands of people crowded the
| street along Broadway and Michigan
| streets watching the work. The streams
| of water pouring down the hill towards
| Michigan street made Broadway a rush
| ing torrent and the street was almost
| impossible. The alley east of the burn
| ing building was flooded and much water
was carried into the easements of the
| American Express office and the offices
in the McGeogh building, east of the al
| ley.
Mayor Becker Responds.
| Mayor Becker was seen at the scene
| shortly after the second alarm and took
| great interest in the fight against the
| flames
In the offices of the United States EX-
| press company several doors north of the
| burning building, the clerks and en-
| ployes made all haste to pack up the
money and other valuables in shape to
| leave the place Immediately it was found
! to have become dangerous.
Ready to Save Money.
| Tie Marshall & Iisley bank north Of
| the United States Express company in
| the same block was also the scene OF
| much bustling and confusion. The bank
was closed for tha afternoon, but the