The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-02-11
SAvEWOMEN IN NIGHT CLOTHES
Fire of Unknown Origin Results in
Loss of Close to $1,000 With Only
Partial Insurance - Bianco Show
Stock Complete Loss.

Kenosha had fire with thrills just
before midnight Thursday night when
a fire in the middle store room of the
Epstein building at the corner of West
Main and Market streets, brought
grave danger of death and injury to a
score of men and women. People re-
siding in the two flats above the store
were rescued from the smoke filed
rooms in their night clothing and with
great difficulty and half a dozen
members of the Kenosha fire depart
ment were near death as a result Of an
explosion which occurred in the base
ment Of the building while they were
fighting the fire. The loss from the
fire is estimated at close to $1,000 and
it is partly covered by insurance. While
several Of the members of the fire de-
partment were rendered unconscious by
the explosion DR.. Charles R. Caughey
was the only man to show any signs of
physical injury. DR.. Caughey had one
Of his hands badly cut in heroic eff
fort to rescue the members Of his fami-
ly from the smoke filled apartments on
the second floor Of the building.
The heaviest loss as a result of the
fire is reported by Samuel Bianco, a
shoe dealer, who occupied the room di
rectly over the fire ruined basement
1t is claimed that his stock of shoes
valued at $4,000 is a complete loss
William E. Pomeroy, proprietor of the
drug store at the corner of West Main
and Market streets, estimates his loss
from smoke at not less than $400 and
Adolph Epstein estimated the loss or
the building at $4,000. The loss is al
covered with insurance with the posi-
BILE exception Of the loss on the Biancc
stock. The insurance carried on the
stock was $4,000.
The fire must have started in the
basement of the shoe store just after
eleven O. clock, but it was not discov.
cred until half an hour later. John
Martin, in charge of the coke depart
ment of the Wisconsin Gas and Flee
trio Company, occupieds one Of the
apartments on the second floor of the
building. AS he was retiring he motto.
ed smoke entering the apartment He
ran across the hall to the apartments
occupied by DR.. Caughey and the mem
bers of his family and notified them OF
the possibility Of the fire. Then Mar
loI L Go ,4o,, 1.,-
Miss Bertha Schreiter, and Mr.. and
Mr.. Schreiter, the parents of Mrs. Mar
tin, to safety through the rear en-
trance of the apartment. DR.. Caughey
took his wife to the back porch of the
apartment and then went to the front
room and carried out his niece, little
Cora Bell Lund. AS he made his way
to the back end Of the apartment with
the little girl the smoke was sitting
and in an effort to reach the door he
stuck his hand through pane of glass
He managed to get the child out and
returned to get her mother, Mrs. Mar
garet Lund. BY this time the smoke
was so dense in the apartment that il
barred the exit through the rear and
Martin, almost overcome, carried out
his sister-in-law through the front part
Of the building. Mrs. Lund had only
her night clothes and she suffered in
the cold winter weather while she was
being carried to the home of neighbor
In the meantime Chief Isermann and
his men had arrived and had sought to
get into the burning basement Of the
building. The narrow back entrance to
the basement was crowded with fremen
when an explosion occurred. The men
were blown out of the basement en-.
trance and Isermann, Jacobs and
Schwartz were rendered unconscious
In the front part of the building where
Captain Charles Schend and Captain
William Jensen led the fire fighters, the
explosion blew out the big plate glass
and the force of the explosion drove
the fremen back into the center OF
Market street. Chief Isermann and his
men were recovered within short
time and they renewed the battle
against the flames It is thought that
the explosion was caused by the rush
of cold air into the over heated base
ment. Just as the fremen were able
to get to the basement the floor of the
shoe store fell with a crash.
Fortunately none of the fremen were
In the basement at the time The fire
was extinguished in short time after
the fremen were able to get to it.
Chief Isermann declared his morning
that he believed the fire resulted from
an over heated boiler.
The building will be rebuilt just as
soon as the insurance on the building
can be adjusted.
Notwithstanding the rather strenu,
Gus fight all of the fremen were able
Tn ho OF their r0c+c 4Isc