The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-06-15
SKILLET FULL OF
Fire Visits Restaurant of
Abel and C0onr0d.
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED
Firemen Encounter Live
Electric Wires.
Fred Keets Makes q Dash to Save q
Child and 10 Overcome BY hest
and Smoke.

nifcent restaurant and billiard room
of Coonrod and Abel, located in the
old Evans block on East Center street
shortly after one o'clock Tuesday af-
ternoon.
A skillet of greast which was boil
|ing on red hot stove exploded and
a flame shot upwards, eating Its way
with great rapidity into the heart OF
the building Five minutes after the
explosion the entire restaurant was
mass of flames.
SO rapidly did the flames spread
that several of the employees were al
most exhausted before they could eff
feet an escape. Nelse Abel, one OF
the restaurant proprietors was over
come with smoke while attempting
to fight the flames In the basement.
and was assigned to the open air.
Other employees were almost exhaust.
ed in their desperate efforts to over
come the fire before 1t could get be-
yond control.
The Central, West End and Huber
fire departments were hurriedly sum
moned to the scene. Six lines OF
hose we're laid and for nearly an hour
six steady streams of water were
poured into the frey oven.
Fearing that the entire block might
be wiped out, the firemen took des-
perate chances in their work. Two
firemen encountered live electric wires
while dragging hose into the base
ment and were knocked flat upon
their backs. Other firemen were over
come by the heat and were compell-
ed to give the help signal several
times. Their work was rapid and
exceedingly effective. however, and in
remarkably short time, the fire was
well under control.
Fred Keets, a lunch counter wait
er was overcome by smoke when at
tempting to rescue a little girl who
he thought was imprisoned in the
basement. The girl was the daugh-
ter of Mrs. Emma Camm, dish
washer employed at the restaurant.
Keets knew that Mrs. Camm had left
the basement short time before
the fire broke out and he believed
that she left her daughter sleeping
in the kitchen. Fearing that the
child might burn to death, Keets
took a desperate chance to save her.
After the young man was carried TO
the open aid, 1t was learned thas
the little girl had left the kitchen
short time before her mother.
The firemen credit the cause of the
flames spreading so rapidly TO the
fact that the electric wires ran 80
closely to the floor, also to the
greasy condition OF the floors. So
hot were the flames that the insola-
tion was melted from the wires and
the broken currents ignited the floor
IN numerous places. Gas pipes lead
ing to the kitchen were partially
melted off and 1t was with great
difficulty that the firemen reached
the meter to turn off the gas.
The large plate glass windows both
at the front and rear of the restaur-
ant were cracked and broken by the
intense heat. Three large holes were
burned through the floor over the
kitchen and the fire followed the
stairway leading from the basement
to the lunch counter room. The fix
lures were practically ruined. The
dishes and other dining room equip
ment were all destroyed. The chan
deliers and fixtures were practically
destroyed.
For some time the firemen feared
that they would be unable to save
the block and the attorneys occupying
offices in the old European hotel
block were advised TO transfer theiI
papers and other valuable Office ma.
terial to another block. The heavy
fire walls on both sides however, pre-
vented the flames from spreading tc
the other buildings and practically
no damage resulted outside of the
restaurant block.
The damage to the restaurant and
building will not exceed $4,000 and II
partially covered by insurance
When the Mirror went TO press
Tuesday. the firemen we're stil
working about the fire but had II
practically extingiished. The excel,
lent work OF the regular and volun.
teer fremen is deserving OF the praise
of the general public.