The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-11-22
FIRE IN FIRST NATIONAL
An Incipient Blaze Caused Quite a
Good Deal of Commotion but
Not Much Damage.

When Mayor Branson walked past
his First National bank building
Friday evening a little after 9
O'Clock, he looked up at the magniti-
cent structure and saw Cashier WEIGH
raise a window on the third floor
and let out some smoke. The mayor
knew that the knights of Columbus
were having a smoker ..that evening
and did not attach any Importance
to the smoke coming out of the win
dow, little thinking that there was
a small fire burning on the second
floor Of the structure.
Cashier Welch, who was attending
the lodpe:.meeting and smoker session
afterward went into the back room
of the third floor and was surprised
to find the rooms full of smoke.
Realizing at once that there must
be a fire in the building, with others
he started on an investigation. They
discovered that the fire was on the
second floor, but just where could not
b%e..learned until after the flames
appeared Through the ceiling in L.
N. Simons' office on the first floor.
The fire broke out ir the laboratory
of DR.. r. j. Lamme's dental parlors.
When DR.. Lanme's door was opened
the men could not proceed more than
a foot into the room on account Of
the density Of the smoke. A person
would have suffocated In attempting
to reach the blaze, which. however,
could not be seen in the back..room.
The fire department .havine been
called, the boys run a ladder up the
west wall and breaking in the two
windows poured a stream of water
into the rooms which effectually put
an end to tue flames. Several hand
grenades ana a fire extinguisher or
t 40 we're brought into play. and
could they have been used OF the tire
right at the start there would have
been no necessity for sending In an
alarm. But the smoke held the men
back.
Just how the fire originated is very
much of a mystery, for there had
been no fire in DR.. Lamme's labora-
tory in the afternoon and after he
left the Office at 5o'clock, the ~janitor
had cleaned the room, and he did
not see any evidence of fire at that
time. From ones who investigated
the conditions surrounding the fire,
it is believed that the blaze started
about two feet from the steam
radiator, neal Il work bench. and
that The flames burned beneath the
floor until they reached the radiator
and then burned --around the pipes.
The burned condition around 1.-The
pipes gave rise to the superstition
that the steam pipes became so hot
and they set fire to the wood. But
men experienced IN steam heat
matters say that 1T would be impossi-
BILE to set fire to the floor IN that
way.
TIE fire was confined to a very
small space, probably three feet
along the floor and burning the
beams and making an opening into
the room below. Considerable dam
age was Some by water which was
turned into the rooms of DR..
Lamme. the floors being flooded. The
finish on his enameled working mat
erials is spoiled and will have to be
done over. Inc water ran through
the hole In the floor into the law
office OF L. N. Simons and wet some
OF his books. a portion of them
we're removed or covered over with
oil cloth blankets and were later
removed TO the adjoining room Of
j. w. Powers and Geo. A. Johnston.
For the present Mr.. Slmons will
have mis- Office with @. T.. Branson
s. Co.
The amount OF damage done by
the fire cannot be estimated at this
time by any of the parties who were
losers. A portion of the two rooms
will have to be repfastered and new
decorating done.
1t is indeed fortunate that the fire
was no worse and that it was con-
fined to so small a space. This was
due undoubtedly to the fact that be-
tween the joists on each floor the space
is packed with asbestos wool. The
handsome building was only com.
pleted last spring and it would have
been a calamity to have bad it de.
troyed.
Brook,ngs Beat Yankton.
Voplfa. .olIax,.