Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-25
FIRE DAMAGE
REACHES B|GSUM
ESTIMATED LOSS IN YESTERDAYS
COSTLY BLAZE AMOUNTS
TO $4,000.
REBUILD AT ONCE
r.P. Baker Placed CONSTRUCTION ~"
at Work This Mornln to 6es'n
the Reconstruction OF the
Damaged Building.

Damaged Building.
ESTIMATED LOSS.
w. Il, Cooper, stock $oO'Ooo
TIP, Baker, building 1888. 12'Ooo
haw.slmn,ons, stock ...... z'ovo
q I. BIsseIl, stock, about. 10
.ro+,l .$74,o15
Notwithstanding loss on STOCK
R50 600 to 100000 and destruction.
The amount Of some $4,000 on IN
building. the firm of w. H. cooper q 9
Son and the owner of the building,
p Baker, are determined 70 ~ -.
mediately begin operations LOOKING -
tha reconstruction of the building ue
stroyed by fire yesterday anu e stonh
ming the new quarters WIN d So
~ goods for the continuation OF Duel
ness and this with as little DELAY Dc
possible
Remove Two Stories.
rarly this morning Robert NC
Masters and w. E. Cook, OF the W
tumwa Mill & Construction company;
were busy working about the ruins VI
tho building and stock, maklhs
m measurements and looking up the OK
tent of the damage done the BAKER
building. and inspecting the structure
70 determine the loss and what 1t WIN
cost to replace the structure. M
paker considers the loss on the build
ing some $4,000 to $4,000 and ex-
poets the cost OF reconstructloh ~
roach that sum. The builders say
that it will be necessary to tear oo~n
the walls to the base OF the tnilu
floor ioists. thus necess1tatlng tho
building Of two stories in order TO re-
place the burnt structure 10 its
original size.
Much Wreekage.
The interior of the building IS
wreck and the ruins OF the upper NUS
roof and stock are heaped aoout .ne
lower floors of the structure III
shapeless mass. The basement
flooded about shoulder high with
water and debris covers the SURFACE
If the food which is being augmented
" steady drip from the upper por
ions of the building. The f1rst ana
econd floors are practically intact.
ut huge gaps appear IN the tnlru
DOR. and the fourth floor is wrecked.
'ortions of the sidewalk on Court
treet are broken through and every
here the signs OF the destruction
ppear. ia - f2 a5%,s.2 $50
Open an Office.
When seen this morning members OF
he firm stated that the building
would be Immediately rebuilt and the
'rm would await the completion OF
he building before reopening their
BUSINESS, and that no temporary quar-
,ers aside from an office, would be
established The firm has taken once
space in the Office of the Ottumwa Gas
{ Light company. adjoining, and will
or the time being hold forth there TO
collect accounts, etc.
Await Reconstruction. /.
Asked about the loss, James Cooper ]
tated this morning that the hgures
,iven by the Courier last evening,
ONE. $4,000 to 100000 would cover
he loss as near as the firm couid
compute at this time. and he said
hat the loss was fully protected by
insurance eve will not take any
temporary quarters except establish
ng an Office with the gas company az
present. because the work of rebuild
ng the structure will be imm ediately
,egun and we will wait for its COM {
,letjon," said James Cooper today. I
May Save Some.
Mr.. Cooper stated that the large ]
stock of chairs Of all kinds. touches, !
etc. carried on the third s
loer of the building occupied by the I
3issell feed firm at the rear OF the Il
burned building. was damaged but ]
and the full extent OF harm ,
lone in that section could not be ,
ully established vet, although 1t got :
IF fairly WELL the smoke and heat '
Icing some damage to the stock. The 6
,xtent cannot be fixed upon before
he adjustment Is made because a
borough examination will then be .
made which at present is not possible
Suffers Little Loss. :,
George Bissell, head of the feed and /
ICED firm that has its mill and ware
ooms In the building in the rear of !.
he furniture store, stated that al l
hough he was compelled to remove .
bout 81, 500 worth of stock from the
'ullulIS, u0 ulO uOJ SulICT lOb6 UcyOAu
;15
Lose $4,000. 5
The Haw-Simmons Wholesale Hard :
ware firm was not so fortunate as the !
3issell firm. for smoke and water dam 7
ICED the stock Of the hardware firm 3
o the extent of about $4,000. This +
vas due to the hardware firm using s
he third and fourth floors of the build :
ng occupied by the Gas Co. in addition i
o their own building, which adjoins 9
he office of the gas company. A. G. :
Harrow. Will with J. T. Hackworth
WINS the building occupied by the gas
company. stated this morning that the (
ity water company paid for itself yes
erday, owing to the fact that the prop
rty saved In the endangered block t!
epresented three-quarters of million ,,
invested, the destruction of which with !
he Cooper store would have been an
wful blow to Ottumwa. All of the
oncerns damaged by fire were pro- i,
ected bv insurance.