Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-20
BUSINESS DISTRICT OF CITY SUE.
FERs IN DISASTROUS SUM-
DAY BLAZE. -
LOSS ToTAL!NG $4,000
COVERED BY INSURANCE
High Wind Causes Flames to Spread
Rapidly Despite Efforts Of Entire
City Department - Two Hardwara
and Furniture Stocks Destroyed
Walls imperil Firsmen.

Ottumwa, Oct eo.-A wind-fanned
fire OF unknown origin. first discovered
shortly before o'clock Sunday even
ing, destroyed almost an entire block
III four-story buildings in the heart Of
the local business district. 1t now is
estimated that the total loss will be a:
least 100000. practically fully covered
ny insurance.
The loss will be divided as follows:
Haw Simmons Wholesale Hardware
Company. loss to stock sI25.oo0; soss
10 building, owned by Bonu!aeld eS-
ate. $4,000
Cooper Furniture Company, loss 70
stock. $4,000; loss 20 building. owned
by T. P. Baker, $4,000.
Ottumwa Hardware Company, loss
20 stock, $4,000; loss 10 building
Hau-Ekfelt Furniture Company, loss
owned b yJudge F. N. aunter, 219115
Ottumwa Gas Company, soss 10 s;ock.
$4,000: loss TO building. owned cy J.
t. Hackwor,h. $4,000.
G. L. Bisscu Hour anu tec5 s-o-e
loss 10 stock, $4,000
Fire Spread BY Wind.
Al 4:.5 O'Clock man passing he
ottumwa hardware store saw flames
inside. He Immediate. turned u IT
alarm. The O-tu;nwa hardware store
is on the south >iIe o. Main stree. II
the middle Of the block Se-weaa Wash
.ng,oa and Cour: s--s=ts. WITH. an
hour after Acting Fire Co:e- Sloane
and the men and apparatus -reTn the
downtown station mad reached ne
scene the flames had spread ar - -.2e
easc % the her5 -a.>a s.Tre AID me
s.rcng wind wzs making s.eaGHay ba
the dreGlen impossible
a general alarm was soua.ed Every
cc1lpaay II the cicr tTi-s every piece
II apparatus available rushed - me
scene Scores OF oaioohers gave their
help toward fighting the flames. Bu,
at O'Clock. with the winds strength
rising, the ferocity OF the fire grew with
such rapidity that there seemed no
chance OF preventing its crossing Court
street and taking in the retail! dis
irict.
Makes Rapid Headway.
At that time the Ottumwa hardware
store building had bean Quilted and the
remaining buildings in the eastern hall
of the block were masses o. Names -
call had been sent into Oskaloosa for
aelp from the the fire department OF
nat town. The frantic work Of the 10
cal fremen and the volunteers was De-
coming more and more unavailtng.
Up until $50 O'Clock the little nope
fremen and the thousands OF spec
tators had the conf1agration would not
spread TO the rich retail district kept
diminishing ard finally died away. on
the east side of Court street Offices and
stores were being cleared Ct their con-
tents. OF a sudden. however, the wind.
which all afternoon had been from the
west changed its course. That marked
the turning point in the iremen's
battle. Al 8 o'clock they were REIN
forced by eighteen Oskaloosa firemen.
headed by Mayor Byron Sewers. BY
$50 o'clock they We're beginning TO
stem the spread of the flames.
Rain Assists Firemen.
Almost simultaneous with the provi-
Dental alteration Of the winds course.
the slight drizzle Of rain which had
been falling all afternoon was replaced
by heavy shower Of mixed snow and
rain that materially aided the fire