The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-02-23
FIRE DESTROYS
BIG BUXTON STORE
Largest Institution Of Its Kind in
the State. Enormous Loss.
BANK BUILDING ALSO BURNED
Origin Of Fire Unkniwn, but circum-
stances Point to incendiarism-
Y. N. c. A, Building will be
Used Temporarily.

Buxton, Feb. %. = Special: The
property of the Monroe Mercantile
company at Buxton, the big three
story frame department store build
ing, and contents was totally des-
| troyed by fire early Tuesday night.
The store was the largest place of
the kind in the state and the loss is
enormous. The damage will exceed
100000 and may be as great as
$150,O00. The insurance will cover
only small portion of the loss. In
addition to the loss of the Mercantile
company store, the telephone ex-
change and offices, the bank building,
branch of the business located in
the southeast corner, was destroyed
and a residence building across the
street from the fire occupied by
Carl Cliff.
The origin of the fire is not under
stood at this time. Circumstances
point to an incendiary origin, but
other causes may be developed in the
investigation being made. In the
confusion that followed the discovery
of the fire no one has been able to
find out who first saw the fire or
who gave the first alarm.
The fire seemingly started in the
teamsters' annex. which stands at
the extreme northwest corner of the
big frame building. The annex is a
building of some considerable size
in itself. 1t is the place for the load.
ing or unloading of merchandise.
The flames in this part of the build
ing were seen about the same time
by numerous people. They burst
forth almost as if in an explosion and
famed by a stiff breeze that came
from the northwest, were raging IN
the other parts OF the building al
most before the alarm was sounded.
The wind carried the heat and the
dense smoke to every part OF the
building and the flames followed
fast after in each of the stores of the
big structure. The Office force was
barely able to get out few books
and records and the building had to
be abandoned. To save any quanti-
ty of the merchandise was an i'm
possibility. The flames shot through
| the building and the merchandise
in an incredibly short time. The
ing furnace and the flames shot to
great height. The glare of the fire
was seen to great distance, the
heavens being illuminated for miles
around. Great burning embers from
the roaring furnace were carried to
great distances from the fire.
The alarm was sounded about half
past eight o'clock and some of the
office force we're still in the building
One hour later the, property was
practically in ruins, although por'
lions of the fire burned until late
this morning AS soon as the fire
call was heard the fire fighting ap-
paratus at hand was turned against
the burning corner of the building,
but the water thrown seemed only to
aggravate the fire fiend and to make
the flames the more eager in their
work of destruction. A great crowd
was soon gathered in response to the
cry of fire that went up from all
sides, and willing hands started to
do what was possible to stay the pro-
gress of the fire. The heat soon be-
came so intense that no one could
approach and soon the fire was in
complete control of the property.
The people at a distance turned
their attention to saving other build
ings, where danger threatened and
where fires started in numerous
places. The intense heat drove the
workers back from the residence of
Carl Cliff, one of the other store man
ayers, residing across the street, and
the loss of the building and most OF
its contents followed The further
progress of the fire was prevented.
A second dwelling was partly burned
but the contents were saved.
The Bank of Buxton, brick struc
ture, together with the general OIL
ces of the Consolidation Coal com
pany, were wholly destroyed, entail
ing a heavy loss.
A number of cars containing mer
chandise that were awaiting unload
ing, stood at the rear of the building
The prompt work of switch engine
in getting the cars to a place of safe
ty alone saved them from destruc
ton and adding several thousand
\ mi
chine shops and some of the storagt
sheds across the tracks west of tht
big store building were endangered
for time, but the direction of thu
wind carried the heat away from
these buildings and they were saved
The large metal covered warehouse
of the company, filled with mucl
merchandise, was saved withou
A damage, as was also the -four ware