Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-06-19
BAD FIRE MIGHT
HAVE BEEN SERIOUS

While there is doubt regarding the
cause Of fire at the CalHns' house
early Wednesday morning, the fin
ger OF suspicion points to detective
wiring This may or may not be the
cause, but it points a duty that the
city owes its people and that duty
Is, that there be some one appoint
ed, if there is not already such a
person, whose duty it will be to in
spect ak wiring and see that it is
done properly. Other cities have
wiring inspectors and the inspectors
are very strict. This in no way is
intended to reflect upon the work
done by the electricians of this city,
either those of the electric company
or the prOprietors or the men of the
other electrical companies. But the
fact remains, that the cause OF al
most every fire that OCCURS i'm a build
ing wired for electric light or pow
er will be laid at the door of the
wiring when no other reason can be
given. Wiring that has been approy>
ed by an inspector will excuse the
contractor and his workmen from
any blame when fires really do oc-
cur from the wiring.
The home of Frank CaIkins OF
Birch street was partially destroyde
by fire early Wednesday morning.
The family consisting of Mr.. and Mrs.
Call1ins and Miss Edith Calkins OF
Stevens Point had q close call from
being ,suffocated. Mr.. CaIkins had
been at the Elks' initiation and did
not set home until after eley-
en- The family retired shortly after
eleven o'clock. Miss CaIkins was
sleeping in a rear bed room and was
nervous about the threatend thunder
storm. Mrs. CaIkns finally got the
little girl in to bed with her. Short
y before one o'clock Mrs. Callxns
woke up and found the room full of
smoke. She aroused her husband who
found that the house was on fire. The
bed room that had been occupied by
Miss CaIl1ins was in a blaze. The
fire spread to the roof. The bed room
kitchen and roof were badly damag
ed by fire and the other rooms We're
deluged with water. Fire was again
discovered at ) o'clock and the fire
company responded again. Mr.. Cal
kins discovered some bedding ON fire
at 5 o'clock, but exunguished it with
out the aid of the fire department
1t made a very exciting night for the
Calkins family
MIR. and Mrs. CaIhns saved some
OF their furniture, but almost all OF
their clothing was destroyed. The
winter clothing, including Mrs. Cal
dns' furs were stored away in a
closet ana these We're entirely de
stroyed. The cIohting of Miss Cal
Fdns was entirely destroyed and she
had nothing left after the fire but
her night clothes.
The house is owned by Mrs. n. E.
Emmons and the damage is fully GOV
cred by insurance, Although the
goods and effects OF MIR. and Mrs.
Calkins are covered by insurance,
the loss is irepairable as MANY OF
the articles destroyed were wedding
gifts which were valued beyond price
When Mrs. Calhns woke her hus-
band, she was choking with the smok
and when Mr.. Calldns got up he was
50 choked up he could scarcely. speal
The smoke was coming through the
wall as the two bed rooms adjoin
ed each other. 1t was fortunate that
Mrs. Calkins woke up as a very few
minutes more in the dense smoke
would probably have meant the SUI
location of the entire family. A can
Of kerosene back Of the kitchen dool
was not touched by the fire although
the wood wo~' all around the kitchen
was badly burned in places and neal
where the oil can stood, the wood wa
charred.
The cause of the fire is not known