Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-01
FIRE WHICH DESTROYED SWIFT
& co. PLANT CONTROLLED
WITH DIFFICULTY.
MANY RESIDENCES FIRED
81 FLYING EMeERs
Best Residential District Saved From
Destruction By ERRONEOUS Efforts Of
Firsmsn and citizsns-Ies Houses
and Other Buildings Burnsd-Totai
Los. $125,coo or More.

Creston, Sept. Fire, believed to
have started from a spark from q pass
ing engine caused a loss Of $4,000
here Saturday afternoon and for more
than an hour threatened the entire
best residence section Of the city. The
/! blaze started in c. S. Rex & Sons ice
house and spread to Swif, IL Co.'S
poultry. butter and egg plant. which it
completely destroyed.
The scores of fires were started in
dwellings across the street, but were
checked by their owners. The FIRST
Presbyterian church took fire but it was
extinguished with slight damage.
The blaze was spectacular. and this
intense heat from the burning pack
ing house made fighting the fire diff
cult. One fireman was overcome by
the heat but later revived.
Plant Was Extensive.
The original building, 1t is said. cost
$4,000 and it has probably been
doubled since. In addition to this.
great improvements have been made in
the machinery and equipment and
with the butter and eggs and poultry
on hand the loss may easily reach
$4,000.
The loss to the Rex Coal & Ice
Company and to c. S. Rex will be be-
tween $1,000 and $4,000. The ice house
cost $4,000 and contained 500 tons Of
ice. Coal to the value OF several thou
sand dollars was destroyed and the
barn. coal sheds, ice wagons, etc.,
would swell the total They had $4,000
insurance and c. S. Rex had $500 in
surance on the barn. What insurance
Swift & Co. carried could not be
learned. but the plant was no doubt
we'll insured. The loss on the Erlck-
son house and the loss on the barns
that were destroyed. together with the
damage done on furniture that was
removed from scores of homes. would
amount to several thousand dollars.
Many Fires in Residence District.
Many fires broke out in the west end
residence part Of town, where the most
costly dwellings in the city are located.
and several times it looked as If it
would be impossible to keep the flames
from sweeping that part Of the city.
The United Presbyterian church caught
fire, and before the f1remen could trans
fer one Of the lines Of hose from the
big fire to the church. the roof of the
edifice was burning lively. However,
the fire fighters succeeded in getting it
under control. as also did they Ere
which started west and a little north
of the big fire. and which destroyed
four barns and other buildings. The
barns on the Robert Young, Dale Skies.
Bert Rowe and a property owned by the
Thomas McGrath estate were burned,
and 1t was only with the most stubborn
| fob b1-- ~ 1fS{
dwellings on all sides were saved. 1t
| was stated that this confagration did
not start from flying debris from the
| big fire. but that a party living in the
! ,eighborhood was tending bonfire at
the time the big fire broke out, and
that when he saw the smoke and
flames from the main FIRE he ran away
and left the bonfire.
Some Of the Subsidiary Fires.
Among the homes which caught fire
from the flying debris were: Frank
Patt. slightly damaged; James Leach.
slightly damaged: e. n. Dougherty.
barn. slightly damaged: Will Schrader
roof badly burned and house and con-
tents badly damaged by water alA
smoke: James Mackin. slightly dam
aged, goods badly damaged by smoke:
Scott Skinner Sigh. blaze: William
Sexsmith. roof slightly burned and
goods badly damaged by smoke: James
Miller. slight damage to house. goods
badly damaged hysmoke: Mrs. Woods.
George Hawker. DR.. o. s Barger. w.
H Gentle. houses slightly damaged:
and c. w Clark residence slightly
damaged by fire and contents badly
damaged by smoke.