Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-05-29
DISASTROUS FIRE
SATURDAY NIGHT
WATER CAUSES HEAVY LOSS TO A.
MESH E SONS AND LARSEN BROS.
FIREhEN HAVE HARD FIGHT
Starting in Second Srory of Mrs. 0. P.
Thompson Building, Dense Smoke Baf-
iies Firemen in Attempt to Reach
it, and They Fight Bravely for
Three Hours Before Ex.
tinguishins it.

One of the most disastrous fires in
Decorah in years in point Of damage
occurred on SATURDAY. night, when fire
was discovered at ten o'clock in the
second story of the Mrs. o. p Thomp-
son building on Water street The
corner building, Water and Washing
ton streets, together with the Mrs o.
p Thompson building next west, is
occupied by A. Neish & Sons with an
immense new stock of dry goods,
cloaks, carpets, curtains and ladies
furnishings They went into this
large double store just few weeks
ago, succeeding G. N. Goddard, and
had completely remodeled it through
out. 1t had been made into beauri-
ful modern store in every respect, and
it was filled with very large stock
of goods
Just before ten o'clock, the store
having been closed an hour before,
fire was discovered in the second story
of the Mrs. o. p. Thompson building.
An alarm was immediately turned i'll
and the full department sponded
very quickly. When they arrived
smoke was pouring out of the build
ing on all sides. The fire seemed to
have started in middle room, or in
the ceiling below the roof, and it was
very difficult matter to get to it,
Ladders were quickly raised from the
front, the east side and the alley i'll
the rear, and several streams of water
were soon playing upon The building
They worked for couple of hours,
usi z immense Quantities of water,
chopping holes III the root, and EN-
ploying every means possible 60 get
success, until finally the great food
OF water and the opening of the build
ing allowed them TO get closer to the
fire, which by that time had spread
through the roof to quite distance.
The combined efforts of the fire
fighters. working from three direc-
tions. finally permitted them TO reach
the seat of the fire, and it was not
long before they had it extingaished.
The fire department is entitled to
great credit for the work they did.
Had it not been for the fact that it
was quiet, still night, it might
have proved much more disastrous.
1t is thought that the fire started
either from lightning during the
storm few moments before or from
cross circuit of electric light wires.
1t is impossible at this time TO esti-
mate the loss. The damage to the
buildings is mainly on the roof and
in the second story.
The loss to the stock on the ground
floor is mainly from water, four or
five streams of which was kept play
ing upon the fire from two to three
hours, practically all of which went
through the second floor, literally
flooding the stocks below. Larsen
Bros stock of clothing, in the next
room west, is also very badly dam
aged, the entire store being soaked
with water Neish d Sons had
stock valued at S42, 600, with $2S, ,0o0
insurance, and Larsen Bros carried
~, coo insurance, the value of the
stock being very much larger. In
surance adjusters arrived yesterday
and are at work on the adjusting of
the loss as we go to press.
While the loss TO both Neish q Sons.
and Larsen Bros. is very heavy we
understand that both will open again,
for business with new stocks as soon
as they can.