The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-11-20
Eagleville's $4,000 Blaze.

About 1880 o'clock Saturday morn
ing, November Sth, 1913, fire was dis
covered at the back of the F. j.
Knowles store, and owing to a high
wind blowing from the northwest,
soon had the entire west side of the
public square in a sea of flames. The
fire was discovered by Miss Lizzie
Hoffman, who was awakened by the
! reuection of light on her chamber
| windows. She gave the alarm and
Bert Ury at the central office soon
had the news over the wires, and
crowd gathered and worked valiantly
| to save the town. For while it
| looked as though the whole west end
| would be swept away. The buildings
where it started were frame, except
the Knowles brick, and burned so
fast, that with such a high wind
blowing it was useless to try to save
| them and dangerous to try to take
anything out. So the efforts were
made to try and keep the fire from
spreading. BY heroic efforts Gus
Paslack's house was saved, although
badly damaged and was the only
building on the west side of the
square left standing.
While everyone was working on
the south end of PearsOn's store on
the north side, that was not consider
ed in SO much danger as the outside
was brick, caught from the inside.
The intense heat from burning builC
ings broke the glass front and heated
pthe brick on the west wall to such
a degree that the wood frame inside
caught fire and it was in such a dan
haf 4
get to it that although there was no
insurance on the large stock Of goods
w. B. Pearson locked the doors and
would allow no one to attempt to
carry things out, considering one
human life to be- of more value than
his entire stock of goods. If there
had been a few more men to work,
this building might have been saved.
From this Miss Rose Terry's millin-
cry shop caught. The greater part
of her goods, and fixtures were got
ten out, but the building was con-
sumed. Then it took hard work to
keep the roaring angry flames from
crossing the street to the Cramer
hardware store and Jas. Fuckers
residence. The tin awning at the
last named building was let down to
protect the front and by constant
pouring of water on the front and
roof it was saved, and as the east
wall of the Pearson store fell west
the brick smothered the flames to
some extent, making it possible to
save the Cramer store. The roof OF
number of stores and houses on the
south side caught but were promptly
extinguished and so the fire tiend
was at last subdued. The amount of
damage and loss as near as we
could find out was about as follows:
w. B. Pearson, double brick store,
and large stock of general merchan-
disc, loss, 100000, no insurance.
w. R. Evans, frame store building,
lower floor vacant, $500, no insur-
ance. Upper floor, Masonic hall,
furniture, regalia, ETC., loss $500, in
surance $500. G. A. r. regalia, no in
surance.
Charlie Andersons frame store
building, large stock furniture and
undertaking goods, carpenter tools,
loss, 81 900, insurance; $1,000.
F. J. Knowles, one frame store
building, one brick store building,
small stock of general merchandise,
loss $4,000, insurance $1,000.
Gus Paslacks l frame store build
ing, loss $500, insurance $500. Resi-
dence badly damaged, covered by in
surance. Blacksmith shop, garage
supplies, tools, loss $1,000, no insur-
ance.
JAS Bonner, wheels to mail wagon
$25, were in Paslack's shop for re-
pairs.
A Nov ctr fpl 20 1T
goods, butcher tools, refrigerator,
loss $500, insurance $1,000.
Rose Terry's millinery shop, loss
$500, insurance $500. d.
Also a number of other small dam
ages, that we did not get an estimate
of. 1t would be impossible to name
all those who worked so nobly in
dangerous places and perilous posi-
tions, but no where can there be
found Drawer and more selfsacrific-
ing men and boys than in our COM
munity in time of need. And some
are 50 venturesome that it is Won
der that there were not more hurt or
burned. The only accidents we heard
of was Owen Fisher badly burned
about the face and hands by the eX-
plosion of a gasoline tank outside the
Paslack buildings. Also w. B. Pear
son was burned on the face and
hands.
Mr.. Pearson has been in business
continuously here for 43 years and
has built up an extensive trade all
over this part of the county. His deal
ings with the public has always been
honorable, honest and upright, and
his many customers will be glad to
learn that he will still continue to do
business here. He will move the stock
of goods over from the GAINESVILLE
branch store, and has rented the
opera house to do business in until he
can make other arrangements, and
will rebuild as soon as possible. -
Charlie Anderson has rented the
upper hall and will start in business
there until he can rebuild.
Gus Paslack will put up a temper
airy building for a blacksmith shop
and continue to WORK at his trade |
and in the spring will put up &C.