The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-12-30

for domestic use and fire protection,
and Mr.. Wilson was employed to pre-
pare complete plan to be submitted
with the idea of soon building
plant The fire this morning will
undoubtedly make the residents
protection, at least.
The losses and insurance given
above are i'm some instances the es-
Inmates of others than the owners of
the property destroyed, but are
thought to be conservative. 1t may
be that the loss will be greater in
individual cases.
Sincere regret will be felt through
out the entire county over the loss
which has befallen Madison Lake
and the village will have the SYM
pathy of this city and of its sister
villages in the county. If any assist
ance is needed in any way, it will
be forthcoming, without doubt.
Newspaper Men on Scene.
Staff representatives of The Free
Press and Review went to Madison
4 Lake on the GAS a. m. train, and
when they arrived, the fire was still
in full progress, with blazing build
ings on both sides of the street. An
hour later, the villagers had the fire
checked, and fear of it's further
spread was over. The main street
was piled with stocks from the
stores and with household goods
from the fats over the stores that
were burned, and ladies and children
could be seen Drawing the icy blast
and drifting snow, staying with their
goods until arrangements could be
made for housing them. 1t was an
awful day to be thrown out of a
warm home an short notice.
A shortage of water made fighting
the fire uphill work, for when a
reservoir became exhausted it was
. necessary to move the plant to an
other and the further away from the
i, fire the smaller the pressure. Had
there been fire engine and plenty
of water, the fire might have been
, limited to the frame buildings be-
F tween the bank block and Allyn
Bros, and the greater part of the
loss averted.s
+ The blaze continued in the ruins
all the forenoon, and only few
{ blackened walls remain as a monu-
ment to mark the spot where yester-
day happy thrOngs of Christmas
, shoppers crowded.
rendered Use of Autos.
The Schwender brothers rendered
/, the use of their automobile to the
, press representatives to return to
, the city, and they got back by $50
, "a. m. A frozen radiator caused some
delay, but the party were kindly
taken in at the Niemeyer home, four
miles east of the city, and warmed
, up. A telephone message to the gar
age brought another car to the scene
in almost no time, a powerful model
II Buick, and the model f. was TAX.
en- in tow and was taken back into
, the city at twenty-five mile an
E hour clip, SO that not over twenty
minutes was lost in the delay
\ 1oSH"CiiuCi Dloo. nave d way vi oVCl'
q coming difficulties that would be in.
! surmountable to many Storm, icy
blasts, snow drifts, and other adj
6 verse circumstances are nothing tC
, these sturdy autoists With them
b the auto is q thing to be used the
year around and not merely a fail
weather vehicle
;. There still remains god deal OF
4 the business district, including the
h village hall and fire station, and &
G number of stores. The latter is
n housed in smaller frame buildings The
fire did not reach the Point Pleasant
summer resort.
8 Lineman Are at Work.
n Reddy and Richard Anderson, line
5, men for the Northwestern Telephone
S Exchange company, went to the vii
Il lage on the train this morning ant
It quickly opened a temporary office
S for the company in Jackson's restau
r rant, so that connection with Man
= kato was restored. The company
It lost its switchboard and six instru
it ments. 1t will secure a new boart
s at once for temporary use, unit
r. permanent new quarters can be Sc
il cured.
t. The total loss from the fire will b,
e somewhere from $4,000 to 500, 600