Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-01-01
Two DISASTROUS FIRES
Resl3ence Of Mrs. Paul Larsen and n
III Grofr Hardware Store Destroyed.
0IsOFF FIRE CAUSES LOSS OF
FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
One OF the Worst Fires in the City's
IIistery Destroys Groff Double Store
and Causes Heavy Damage TO Ad-
jacent Buildings and Occupants.

ffs 14nD60ry AJoe&EOyS UfOM OOuOac 0tOrc
and Causes Heavy Damage to Ad-
jacent buildings and Occupants.
One OF the most destructive ant
most dificult fires to fight In the his
tory Of Decorah early Sunday morn
ing completely destroyed the twt
4 Marlw buildings on Water street and
the N. r. Groff hardware stock which
occupied them, as well as the law Of
nee and library OF w. M. Strand and
the household goods of Miss Ella Mar
low on the second floors OF these bull.
dings. At the same time damage oi
4 So. 900 to $4,000 was done to Wang
Ter Bros stock Of drugs. etc.. up
wards OF $1,000 to the law Office and
library of e. w. Cutting and consid-
efable damage BY smoke to the ofa-
ces OF DR.. T. G. Hutchinson, DR.. W.
n. Toye, Drs. P. M. and NJ. d. Jew
ell
A little before three O'Clock Sun
day morning Night Watchman Clar-
ence McClain discovered fire in the
Groff hardware store. Thinking first
of the occupants Of the building. and
knowing that Miss Ella NARROW and
her brother. John, occupied rooms on
the second floor, he rushed up the
stairway and knocked on the door.
and getting no response took his club
and broke the door In. Fortunately
mo one was there. as they were visit
ing out at their brothers. James Mar
low, in the country. The smoke be-
came 50 dense that the nightwatch
could scarcely iind his way to the
street. and It choked Of his calls Of
'.fre." Just as he got to the side
walk there was an explosion which
blew out the front Of the stores ana
: 1&m Mn Into the middle: Of the
stfn6ed Y6NA moment. but ne
loon recovered himself and rushed to
<he city hall and turned In the alarm.
The fire bells. the siren whistle and .
whistle at the Rock Island yards. all
In action. soon got the firemen out,
and It was not long before the three
hose companies and the hook and lad
der company were making the hard
est fight they have ever made. and
one Of the most effective. Seven
streams Of water were kept playing
upon the buildings from three o'clock
TO about eight o'clock in the morn
Ing, before 1t was subdued. Flames
shot high into the air. and as the oil.
paint, etc; caught fire it was like
pouring stream Of gasoline on the
fire. At the start the hig stock Of
cartridges kept up cracking that
sounded like regiment Of artillery
and the shells were scattered over the
street. The stock Of dynamite and
powder, which Mr.. Groff kept in al
separate shed in the rear. was remov-
ed and carefully guarded from fire.
The fremen fought as they never
have fought before, disregarding
their clothing and themselves in the
dlerce struggle with the hames. Sia-
mese couolings and the apparatus in
Extra good condition made their fight
ing asseffective as possible, and yet
& seemed impossible to stop the
names The long building with the
5dt4Iculty OF access to the flames made
very difncult fight. but although few|
&eIfeved It possible the flre was prac-
t1eally confined to the Groff double
store. both the buildings being practi-
fcAlly destroyed and the stock q total
loss II was eleven O'Clock the next
day before the firemen were all ex-
scuseds and they went home with the
sratitude Of every loyal citizen Of De-
:corah Tor the splendid work they had
done.
Messrs. Charles and Albert Wang
yler, asleep on the second floor OF their
I building, escaped with dihhculty and
only partly clothed. the dense smoke
irving them from the building g.
ION Is they awoke.
The total loss will be not Tar from
~. .o00.0o. Little II left but the walls
ct the two store buildings. and these
:4se badly damaged. The stock. which
wap not completsly destroyed. Il )
harmed and Shared heap IA the base
ents poted with ~ ap6 ,spst. M.
k stock VA valbed ,sts akoat
4 IN ) syltA 44n.eo0 inSnIS ISk6G. !. ijf