The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-12-30
MADISON LAKE FELL
PREY TO The FLAMES

morning, in the complete destruction
by fire of it's two principal business
blocks, including the Peoples States
bank block, Allyn Bros store, the
postoffice, and the three saloons of
the village. Eleven buildings in all
burned, including the big one of
Allyn Bros, which comprised three
stores or departments, the hardware
store on the corner, the general store
and the furniture store. The loss is
heavy, but most of the business men
affected carried insurance.
The fire started in ]. J. Browns
general store, in the middle of the
block. and spread both ways, until
the entire row of business houses
facing east in that block was in
flames. Jumping across the one bus
mess street, the flames first attacked
the postoffice, which was in the mid
die of the block on that side, and
spread both ways until every build
ing on that side of the block except
the Lake House on the corner was
destroyed.
Fire Discovered BY Girl.
The first person TO discover the
fire was Thomas Smiths eight year
old daughter, Frances, who was
awakened at about four o'clock this
morning and noticed the street light
ed up. She ran into her fathers
bedroom and aroused him, and he
ran out and saw that Mr.. Browns
building was all ablaze. In his bare
feet, he ran across the street to the
village hall and rang the fire bell
This alarmed the entire village, and
in few moments men came running
to the hall and got out the fire fight
ing apparatus and commenced a
hard battle.
The fire fighting apparatus consist.
ed of a pump manned by man power,
but it threw pretty good stream
of water. There are five small res
ervoirs of water in various parts of
the village, from which to draw a
supply in case of fire. There was
not much chance of extinguishing
the fire. as the building was in
flames when the fire was dis
covered, the interior having al
ready been Quilted. A heavy
northwest gale was blowing, which
quickly carried the sparks and burn
ing embers before it to the other
buildings. The only brick structures
in the two bolcks were the bank
building and the Roemer saloon and
the front half of the Sullivan saloon,
and Allyn Bros. had fire walls of
brick.
Fire Company Was Out.
The Madison Lake Fire company
turned out in full force, and the
business men and others assisted in
every way that they could. good
deal of property from the stores was
saved, especially from Allyn Bros
store, and it was piled in the street.
Beer bottles from the saloons, piled
in the center of the street, were un
molested, which speaks well for the
village.
Before five o'clock it was seen that
the fire was too great for the people
OF the village to successfully cope
with, with their limited facilities, and
calls for assistance were sent to Man
kato. Chief Lulsdorff was called up
but as Mankato has no fire engine
to send the next best thing was
to send some hose, and 1000 feet OF
hose was coiled up and William and
Otto Schwender tOk their model +
Buick and started at $50 O'Clock
with it, and in thirty or forty min
utes had it in the village. They made
a splendid run in spite of the storm
The snow was drifting so badly thai
they could scarcely see forty fee
ahead of them in places, and thej
encountered some deep drifts, bu
plowed through everything. The ar
rival of this hose helped materially
to save the remainder of the bust
ness portion of the town. 1t enablet
the water to be carried from the
farthest reservoirs to the buildings
exposed, and the fire was held at the
cross street.
A fire engine was engaged at Elys
ian, and was to arrive during thu
morning, but its services were no
needed. The willing workers in thu
village, with what water they hat
and the additional hose, held the fir,
in check until it burned itself out
Several times other buildings tool
fire, but were saved by the quicl
application of water. The LAX,
House was badly scorched, the pain
on the front side standing out il
blisters.
Lose Household Goods.
Several families, living over tn
burned stores, lost their household
goods, George w. Allyn and wife
since selling their house to r. ]
Straw, had been living over tn
store. Postmaster Patrick Lyons an
family lived in the rear of the posi-
office building. Messrs. Sullivan an
Roemer and families lived over thei
saloons, and Thomas Salmon an
family lived over their store. The
all lost all or the greater part Q
their goods.
The best block in the village wa
DEAFNESS CANNOT BE CURED
by local applications, as they cannC
reach the diseased portion of the. ca
M. Io aItF nran IA nrrea Il afw.n