Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-24
MILLION lE|E2:zs ll|I!n
A H.. FIRE
AT DECATUR
BUSINESS DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
CITY LAID WASTE BY FLAMES;
TWENTY-FIVE BUILDINGS IN
ALL DESTROYED.

Decatur, Aug. 23.-Twenty five store
and Office buildings, the heart oil
Decatur's business center, were de-
stroyed or badly damaged in q fire
which started at / o'clock yesterday
morning in the Moorehouse & Wells
hardware store on East Main street
and was not under control until a
o'clock yesterday afternoon. The loss
is placed at $1,500000. The insurance
is about 80 per cent of that amount.
There was no loss of life.
No one was injured except one fire.
man, Robert Lunsford, who was hit
by piece of flying brick He narrow
ly escaped death by the falling of the
entire six story wall.
Following the fire, which was the
worst in the history of the city, De-
catur faced water famine. 1t be-
came necessary yesterday afternoon
to shut off the residence district, the
supply of water in the reservoir being
down to seven feet. The water works
last night were working under fire
pressure to refill the reservoir by
morning If possible. The condition
temporarily places the city in haz-
ardous position, especially If another
! f1re should break out.
Springfield Sends Aid.
| During the fire blaze was discover
ed in the engine-room of the Decatur
hotel, situated half block westsof The;
| district that was being destroyed.
| There was panic among the guests,
who realized that the fremen had q
bigger job on their hands than they
could handle. Prompt work by the
hotel people resulted In extinguishing
the flames before they had a chance
to spread.
In response to call for help
Springfield sent an engine and fire
crew under the direction of Assistant
Chief Cullen, and this gave the city
four engines with which to fight the
flames The department was crippled
by falling walls covering several hum
dred feet of hose.
List Of Buildings Destroyed.
Buildings occupied by the following
firms were destroyed, together with
the stocks of goods:
Moorehouse G. Wells Hardware COM
pany.
Henry Bachrach. clothing.
John SPOTS, cigars.
Sans Confectionery.
City book store.
4 Dicks poolroom.
/ Danzeisen's meat market.
Peerless cold drink parlor.
White Front poolroom.
Union Pacific Tea company.
| Munro's soft drink parlor.
Rogers & Clark, shoes.
!. F. H. Cole Shoe company
Shade Lokey, shoes.
Frank Curtis, jewelry.
Young's Clothing company.
P. Augustine, optical goods.
/ Noah's Ark.
The Brinkmeyer offices.
The following were partly destroy
! ed:
i E. w. Armstrong, drug store.
4 G. w. Harris, hat store.
/ Post, jewelry store.
i Elwood & Handlin, clothing.
4 Chodak book store.
Ralph & Young, shoe store.
1 These buildings face on, East Main
i street, Merchant street and Water
4 street, and are in the very heart of the
4 business district.
To Ee Rebuilt at Once
Moorehouse & Wells, in whose
building the fire started, occupied a
modern six-story building, which was
one of the show places of the city
Their loss is complete and is estimat
ed at 100000. Other losses range
from $4,000 to $4,000, but it is i'm
possible to get accurate figures at this
time
Special police measures have been
taken for the protection of the city.
The work of rebuilding the burned
district will start just as quick as the
ruins cool sufficiently to permit men
to remove the debris.