The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-03-24
Eatino House is Destroyed.


house at Norfolk Junction was burn.
ed to the ground Sunday afternoon.
The loss is estimated at from $4,000
to $4,000. The Northwestern railroad
carries no insurance on any OF Its
property. A defective chimney is
thought to have been the cause.
The eating house was an old land.
mark in Norfolk, having been built In
1879 by the Fremont, Elkhorn & Mis-.
souri, Valley railroad. Up until two
years ago the eating house was OPP
Grated by Rome Miller.
The railroad put on dining car SER
vice Monday morning between Omaha
and Long Pine.
Junction restaurants did rushing
business Sunday night when the
trains arrived at supper time.
Mrs. NJ. O. Wolcott, wife of the man
ager Of the eating house, had been Ill
for some time and had to be carried
to safety from an upstairs room.
The fire was spectacular one,
starting in the roof and famed by q
strong northwest wind. Firemen
saved the depot, a few feet west Of
the eating house. An ice house and
q building used for storage by the
American Express company, were also
burned.
house will be rebuilt.
Save the Furniture.
Firemen saved most of the furniture
in the eating house and even the
heavy safe was carried out. The
kitchen equipment, however, is total
loss.
Wind carried the fire to the express
building and from there 1t made its
way to the ice house, located a short
distance to the northeast of the eat.
ing house.
The fire was discovered by Fireman
Harry Witte and several other juno
ton men, who noticed a tiny tongue
of flame burning between the two
chimneys Of the eating house. The
men Immediately made for the build
ing and were met by the cashier of
the establishment, who declared she
was unable to sleep in her room be-
cause she smelled smoke. The alarm
was turned in and the Junction fire
company soon had their hose playing
stream on the roof. This work was
not effective, owing to the absence Of
the hook and ladder wagon.
When the hooks and hose wagons
arrived, much of the furniture had
been taken out. Chief Green had not
yet arrived and E. E. Coleman chair.
man Of the fire and police, put Matt
Shaffer, jr, in charge. Firemen Da-
vic nd I,,ln ~ fntN he
garnet with a line OF chemical hose
from the new tank on the fire wagon.
This was the first test with this tank,
but the fire had gained too much head.
way and the men came back.
The hook and ladder men soon had
ladders leading to the roof Of the
building and several lines Of hose
were soon playing on a fire which
grew more terrific every minute
Chief Green stationed Fireman Mu.
lertZ and several Junction firemen on
the top of the depot with line OF
hose, which was played on the top OF
the west end of the eating house
These efforts resulted in the saving
OF the depot which was in danger al
the beginning.
Gasoline ExpIodes.
From the middle of the building the
fire burned slowly west, but the heavy
wind tanning the fire soon Quilted the
east portion. From the main room /,
travelled to the laundry and kitchen
II was when portion of the hook and
ladder company were at work on the
store room near the kitchen that Fore
man Ed Hans chopped hole into the
room and discovered large tank o.
gasoline. He ordered Firemer
SchmiedebeTg and Laubsch away anC
he and Harry Witte also made theil
escape in time to escape from the eX
plosion which followed shortly.
A report was circulated among the
firemen. that 100 gallons of gasoline
was stored in the cellar, but this re
port had no tendency to keep the fire
men from their work. Chief Greer
gave up the ice house at about .
o'clock and later sent back number
of fire fighters with line of hose anC
saved some portions of it,
BY 8 o'clock all danger of the de
pot being destroyed had passed and i
was only at this time that the party o
three tiremen on the roof of this build
ing had chance to rest for few
moments. The men had been con
stantly at work for over two hour
playing the hose over the west end o
the eating house. Hooks were brough
to play the loose portions of the wall
of the eating house and these wer,
torn down. An engine attached to
number Of freight cars which held tn
furniture of the destroyed building
was uncoupled and heavy rope tie'
to a hook, which was fastened to
portion of the west end of the eatinI
house wall. This was connected wit
the rear end of the engine. The rope
however, proved to be bad hemp ant
broke, and the tiremen returned L
work with human strength.
1t was not until dark that the tir
was entirely extinguished.
other Restaurants Busy.
The restaurants at the Junction di