Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-23
Loss OF 10000 CAUSED ~
FLAMES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
ABOUT 4 A. M. TODAY.
EIGHT HORSES LOST
Valuable Pair Of Blacks Among Ami.
mals--Nothins Was Saved From
Livery 6arn-Damaae to Ad-
Joining Property About $1,000.

osSHASOAA A1AOS' livery UtTH, SZl-SZS
Church street, with eight head OF
horses, ten buggies and carriages and
the entire equipment, was totally de.
stroyed by IRE about O'Clock this
morning with loss of approximately
$4,000. The origin of the conflagra.
ton IL unknown. The building &C,
cupied by the w. o. witt blacksmith
shop and owned by John Moss, ad.
joining the jackson barn on the right
was damaged by the flames to the ex.
tent OF about $500. Both are one
story frame structures. The Charles
Chiffon building, two story brick,
the ground floor of which IL occupied
by the F. L Garfield grocery suffered
q loss Of about $500. This damage was
done to the second story which is un.
occupied Mr.. Garfield states that the
loss to his grocery stock by water is
about 5000. Both buildings adjoined
the livery barn and it was only by a
supreme effort that the fremen sue.
'ceeded In saving them and the entire
block. Jackson Bros. loss Is covered
by insurance by about half the amount.
The damage to the adjoining buildings
is we'll insured. The entire loss
caused by the conflagration is esti-
mated at $4,000.
Barn in Flames.
Breaking forth just after midnight,
the flames enveloped the entire build
ing before the fire wagons arrived.
The blaze started near the rear of the
barn from cause that cannot be as
certained. No general cause Of fire
can be attributed to this blaze, stated
Abe Jackson, member of the firm this
morning. When Al Smith, the night
barn man, was awakened from his
slumbers In the Office, he endeavored to
pass the blisterinE furnace in, the
center to reach the horses quartered
in the rear. Finding this impossible
he rushed around to the rear but just
as he endeavored to open the door,
the flames broke through the walls and
disclosed seething furnace of fame
The eight horses had persisted long be-
fore this it is thought, as they were
found buried beneath the charred mass
of debris. All were burned almost to
crisp. Although the torture of the
poor brutes must have been terrible,
the opinion is expressed that the
flames enveloped the animals 30 quick.
ly because the building was woodwork
in It's entirety, that they soon perished
Seven Of the animals were found in the
position of their respective stalls.
The other had broken loose and gone
into another stall to perish.
Valuable Blacks Burn.
A valuable pair of black carriage
horses priced very highly by both Abe
and Joe Jackson, was among the num-
ber. The loss of the eight animals is
approximately $1,40O.
The most valuable of the vehicles
destroyed was q closed carriage valued
at $1,000. Nine other single and dou-
BILE livery rigs we're reduced to ashes.
All that Is left of the building Is q
chair in the ONCE and that has one leg
partially burned off, Mr.. Smith, the
night man. lost his coat and hat. A
large quantity of corn and hay was in
tho barn.
F.. L. Garfield with three helpers
worked all night moving his grocery
stock to and fro out of the way of the
water that was coming down through
the ceiling, thus preventing a loss Of
$500 to flour and other goods.
The fire department devoted its at
tention to the adjoining buildings when
it was seen that the Jackson barn was
doomed. Their efficient work is shown
in the saving of the blacksmith shop.
The flames ate their way through the
wall, but were harnessed there. The
livery barn was seemingly lifted out
from the two buildings.
When asked in regard to rebuild.
ing the barn. Abe Jackson stated today
that he and his brother were undecided
on the matter.