The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-07-15
.DFNlSON HOTEL BURNS

UlV1SUN HULL OUkNS
One of the Old landmarks of Leon
Destroyed by Fire. Origin Of
Fire Unknown. Insured.
The Denison Hotel, one of the old
landmarks in Leon was totally destroy
ed by fire which was discovered about
half past three last Thursday morning.
The fire was first discovered by L. P.
Van Werden, who lives across the street,
who was awakened by hearing the crack
ing of the burning building. He ran
out on his porch and gave the alarm and
about the same time Lafe Mitchell who
lives just south of the burned building
also gave the alarm. When discovered
the fire had made good headway, the
entire upstairs being mass of flames
and the roof was about ready to fall in.
The fire whistle was sounded and many
people were quickly at the scene. but
the building was too far gone to save,
and the fire company confined their
efforts to prevent it from spreading to
any of the adjoining buildings.
The building was one of the Oldest in
the city, being built in the early seven
ties by Judge Sales and was first used
for drug store. When the Grange
movement spread over the country a
Grange store was opened in this build
ing and run for several years, and a
few years ago it was remodeled and
made into hotel building.
The building was owned by G. M.
Axes and occupied by G. H. Harp, who
was running the hotel up to few days
before the fire when he leased the
Hotel Hamilton and as the lease included
the furniture he had not moved out his
goods from the Denison. Until the
night of the fire some of the family had
been sleeping in the building, and the
evening before the fire Mr.. Harp's SON.
in-law, Roy Wood and wife went there
to sleep, but the roof leaked quite
badly and they decided to stay that
night at the Hotel Leon, so there was
no one in the building when the fire
occurred. Milan Sanger who had been
boarding there and occasionally sleep
ing there also went into the building
about o'clock that morning and there
was no fire there at that time. The
roof leaked so badly that everything in
his room was wet so he went to Hotel
Leon and went to bed, and lucky for
him that he made the change, for he
was so tired that he slept all through the
fire just across the street and knew
nothing of the fire until he was
awakened couple of hours after when
his father was searching for him. When
Mr.. Sanger saw the fire he came to
town, knowing it was in the business
district, and when he found it was the
Denison Hotel, he commenced to make
inquiries for Milan, as he knew he was
IN the habit of sleeping there. No one
had seen Milan around the fire, and Mr..
Sanger telephoned all around to every
place where there was any chance of his
staying all night. Going back to the
fire he could see the shape of a pair of
shoes in the fire and thought he could
see body also, but about that time
some one looked upstairs in Hotel Leon
and found Milan peacefully asleep.
After leaving the Denison he went to
Hotel Leon and as everybody was in
bed he went upstairs and hunted a
vacant room and went to bed.
The fire was burning SO fiercely
that only few things were carried
out of one room down stairs, and Mr..
Harp and ia nily lost all of their clothes
except what they were wearing. He
had been about ready to close deal to
sell the furniture and lease on the
DenisoD to Zed Gore and for that reason
had not moved anything out except a
few table cloths and small articles
needed at the other hotel. His loss will
probably be about $500 and he had
$500 insurance. Mr.. Axes carried 81 900
insurance on the building in the Ha wk-
eye Co.
1t was fortunate indeed that the fire
came when everything was soaking wet
or it might have been hard to control
the fire. AS it was the big plate glass
windows in the Hotel Leon and Henry
Minors barber shop were broken by the
heat and also the plate front in Bene-
fel's billiard parlor. The hotel block is
owned by c. e. Buchanan, of Humeston,
and his insurance will cover the plate
glass loss. The opera house block is
owned by L.. P. Van Werden and his
loss on plate glass is also covered by
insurance. The front in Harry J. Vogt's
grocery store was saved by dropping
the awning which was wet and this
protected the plate glass from the heat.
Had there been strong wind from any
direction the fire would probably have
spread, and the people would have
wanted system of waterworks pretty
badly.
While watching the fire M. 1. Marshall
was struck in the back by heavy
timber when the front of the building
fell out, piece twenty feet long and
five or six inches square striking him
just below the shoulder, knocking him
down and it was feared he was badly
injured. A physician was called and he
was assisted to his home, where it was
found that no bones we're broken but he
was pretty badly bruised up.
Noah WdrnStaft Dead