The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-01-09
THE 1907 FIRE RECORD
Forty Eight Alarms Were Sounded
During the Year.

during the previous year, but in some
cases the damage was severe and the
sum total of the losses of the year
will exceed that of the preceding year.
The losses sustained were the heaviest
in years, with the exception of the
year of the Fitch Bros. and Stull 4
McGregor building and stocks. TheI
loss of the McNeill building occupied
by George Morrow with his livery
business was the most noteworthy OF
the season and the burning of the
c. B, & @. round house, containing
two engines comes next in import
ance.
The fires of the year were attended
by the loss of life, two persons being
burned to death. Jack Atchison, a
laborer, lost his life in the fire at the
Schee building on the morning of Jan.
LIST. and Mrs. Kate Gallagher was burn
ed to death in the explosion occurring
at the Smith dye works on North
Market street, March 31st
The total number of alarms attend
ed by the fire department, including
still alarms and those calls where
there were no fires. was As for the
year, as against So for the year 1906,
and IS during 1905.
The total amount of property dam
age for the year amounts to about
eighty thousand dollars, which is c5il-
sidered an unusual amount for the
city
The most fires attended by the de-
partment in any one month was eight
during both April and November. The
least number attended during a
month was one, and this occurred
three different times.
The number of alarms for each
month were as follows:
January ................... a
FEBRUARY .................,. ...'.. %
April ....a.s.s............. 81. %
May ..............,... q. +
June ................... $3.50
July .................. '.'.'''o
August .................. ~
september ......,.......... d
cSIOUSl ''''''''' - . : - : : . . : :
November .............,..,. &c
December .................. %
IOldl 10
In couple of cases small fires were
handled by neighbors of the homes
threatened and the department was
not called.
The fires in detail for the year are
as follows:
January.
January /, fire at the Schee building,
the Oskaloosa Manufacturing Co., cor,
ner High avenue and B street, caused
by heating tar in second story OF
building. Jack Atchison, a laborer,
lost his life in this fire. Damage was
about 100000
January 8, the department was call
ed to the Mcneil building, occupied
by the Don Mcclure automobile gar
age, to put out another tar pot fire.
No damage to building.
January IS, sheds at rear of house
No. 209 Second avenue west, occupied
by Frank Jones. Small damage-$25.
January 81, residence of Milton
Young, No. All North B street. Hard
fight with a fire between partition
walls and floors. Damage about $1,000.
February.
February l, second tar pot fire at
the Schee building. No damage to
building.
February IA, residence of Mrs. Mary
Smith, No. 635 North street; fire in
roof Small damage-$25.
February IS, residence w. T. Phil
lips, in Tracey house, No. 4l6 High
avenue. Basement burned Dam
age about $780,
February 20, residence Mrs. Anna X.
Cowan. No. 4OS North Fourth street.
Fire caught in roof and house badly
wrecked. Damage to building and per
sonal property $4,000.
February 81, the C. B. West proper
ty, No 209 A avenue west, occupied
by w. F. Rogers and Joe McGlasson.
Roof and top floor badly burned. Loss
about $500.
February 22, residence John +.
Engstrom, No. 500 Second avenue
east Fire by defective fiue. Small
damage s25.
March.
March 81, explosion of gasoline va.
por apd fire rear of Mrs. l.. e. Smiths
dye works. Mrs. Kate Gallagher, an
employee lost her life in this fire.
Property Moss about $500.
April
April 6, property of Chas. e. Hesla,
No Ill + avenue east. Chicken
sheds and pens at rear of house
burned. Loss about $780,
April 0. fire in residence of Ben
McCagg, No. 31S South Market street.
Still alarm. Little damage.
April II. residence DR.. d. A. Hon.
man, No. 40S First avenue east. Small
damage. Loss $50.
April IS, Greenway Fish Market,
No. lis First avenue west. Damage
about 5000
April IS, James w. Lewis residence
No. 63O North Market street. Small
damage. Loss about $50.
April 10. residence No. 61O Fourth