Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-22
Big Retail Establishment N
Center Of Business. DIS
trict Threatened With 10
tal Loss by Flames.
FLAMES WILL BE
CONFINED TO FIRM
Eight Streams Of Water BE-
ING Played on Structure
in Hope Of Saving Por-
ton Of the Building.

The Cooper FurnttuTS 49,
! be : total loss. This 10 the op'"-
lon Of James Cooper, who At nr"
.xnre.,ed the hope that the con-
narration would bs confined 70 '"s
fourth story Of the 0u"o'"s'
7 When flames were seen issuing
out Of the windows on the Sou'e
street side, and shortly after the
roof Of the building was easen
away. Mr.. Cooper gave up hope OF
SAVING any Of the great quantity
a. furniturs carried by the firm.
~ a:2o o'clock, eight streams OF
water were being played on the
.tructure, but the upper front anu
the s,dewall in the upper part
we're expected to cave IN AZ any
minute. The attack on the flames
which are rapidly eating the heart
out Of the building, 10 being cen
tered on the portion OF the floor
containing the heavy lIno'eunn''
with the hope that the fire Will not
rsseh that point. Should the
\ s,anss reach this section y means
that the floor will cave In and the
flames rapidly climb their way to
the lower portions.
Whsn asked what the value OF
tho stock was, James Cooper stat
I'd that he, could not tell, 40 that
was 4 matter Of private lnforma-
ton. When asked as to the Insur-
ance carried, Mr.. Cooper replied
that they carried the same amount
40 any other business houss.
IL 10 understood that the value
Of the stock carried by the firm 10
between $4,000 and 10000. The
property In the row threatened by
the fire 10 easily worth half = mil
lion dollars.
4 A fire that broke ont about 2 o'clocl
This afternoon on the fourth floor o
The store Of w. H., Cooper & Son bid
fair to be q serious loss before the fir
department will be able to cope will
The flames that are gradually sweep
ing along the entire upper part of tn
structure and finding their way down
ward to the other three floors ant
Thousands of dollars wortl
of furniture. carpets, draperies, etc
are rapidly being converted into
ruined mass.
The fire was discovered by two o
he employees. Parker McMichael ant
Art Lindsey. who gave the alarm i'm
mediately upon the discovery Of tn
lire which at that time had been burn
nx apparently for some time. Witt
he arrival Of the fre department upol
The scene, a number of willing hand
aid too and lent aid to assist in tht
7ighting Of the fire which presage,
ruin to the structure unless har,
light was speedily made. The fire wa
'ound to have started in the fourtl
toor, but from what cause 1t cannot b.
earned. Employees OF the Arm states
heir belief that the cause was bar
Electric wire as there was no fire use'
bn that floor for any purpose.
The stock kept on the fourth foo
vas mixed and little Of every kin'
n stock carried by the large firm wa
sept on this floor. The amount 0
foods and the value Of them could no
oe ascertained from the frm, beyon,
hat there was large quantity o
FOODS In the region where the fir
broke out. For half an hour the fire
nen battled to make an entry into tn
surning zone but without result and a
l:3O were playing two streams 0
gater on the blaze that until then wa
Eoniined to the. fourth floor Of th'
uilding.
James Cooper, member Of the firm
Ii w. H. Cooper & Son. stated tina
se and an insurance Inspector had jus
Inspected the upper floors OF the build
N this afternoon and the structure
sassed the o. X. OF the Inspector. Upol
Ieaching the lower floor. however. /;
lry OF are from some of the employe
IN the upper floors caused the alarm
10 be given. Mr.. Cooper stated tha
se was unable to ascribe any cause 70
he Are In the face OF his passing witt
he inspector through the upper floor
h the building 50 shortly before, IN
hss It was electric light wires.
Flames Finally Burst Out.
The suaoul6ering materials in tn
{a-Ax Af~@, ~A~uad nn o,,$ $r rd sion