Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-20
FRAME BUSINESS BLOCKS De.
sTRoYED WITH PORTION
or CONTENTS.
PANIC NARROWLY AvERTED
IN MOVING PICTURE SHOW
Film Starts Blaze and Audi
enee Makes Escape Thru Exits and
Observation-Disclosures Structures All
Frame and Some of Them Unoceu-
pied-TotaI Loss Close to $4,000.
'pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Colo, April pa disastrous fire
resulted from the explosion of a NOV
ing picture film at 9 Is Saturday even
ing. The picture show was conducted
by E. H. Hemping. in a hall leased by
him from the Masonic lodge. The
building was enveloped in flames in a
remarkably short time, but the audi
ence vacated the hall thru the two
exits and the windows, without serious
injury to any one. A panic was
averted by the cool Medicines of sew
eral Of the audience.
The entire east block on the south
side of Main street. consisting of eight
frame buildings. was destroyed. The
Farmers Grain Company. lumber shed
and elevator and some surrounding
residences were threatened and saved
by hard work of the citizens of the
community.
Eight Buildings Burned.
The following are the buildings de-
stroyed and the losses:
Vacant building owned by W. A.
Root, formerly used as a printing Of
fce-loss 5000, no insurance.
Vacant building owned by F. O..
Morrell. formerly used as garage-loSs
5000, no Insurance.
Two story building owned by Ma
sonic lodge, upstairs used for lodge
purposes by Blue lodge and Star lodge,
first floor used by E. H. Hemping as
an opera house-loss Of a. F.. & A. NJ.
on building and furniture $4,000 TO
$4,000; insurance, s1.4o0: loss by E H.
Hemping on piano and apparatus,
s1,100, no insurance.
Livery barn owned by S. c. Farren.
occupied by ]. 8. Byers-loss on build
ing $4,000, insurance s1,25o-livery
stock all saved.
John Trite's shoemaker shop-loss on
building 5000; no insurance; contents
saved.
Three buildings owned by John
Braker-loss $1,000: no insurance: the
first one was used by the Farmers
Grain Company as a lumber storage
room. loss s79o, covered by insurance:
the next was used by c. E. Ginter as
wood working shop, the last by c. E
Ginter as blacksmith shop, tools and
stock were removed from these two
buildings: loss nominal
The wind being from the northwest
was fortunate. Had the fire started
when the wind was from the south
the two elevators and one lumber shed
besides a block of residences north
of the railroad track could not have
been saved.
No Fire Protection.
The buildings in the row covered al
most block in length on the east half
of the south side Of the business sec
ton.
The town was without fire protection
Of any kind save a bucket brigade and
this was altogether Intellectual in a
conflagration Of that kind. The blaze
could be seen for miles in all directions
and soon after the alarm was sent to
this city scores of people were on the
way TO Colo in automobiles but owing
east Of here the trip was hard one
and the buildings were all fat upon
the ground when Nevada people
reached there.
The buildings were all small ones
and old and the amount of the loss
is not large considering the area COW
cred by the fire. A small corrugated
IRON cred building which stood blu.
a short distance from the fire and go
located that the wind whipped the
flames in its direction contained about
fifteen barrels of gasolene and other
oils, the property of the Standard Oil
Company, but did not take fire and an
explosion was averted.