Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-06
FIRE IN BUSINESS SECTION OF
CITY CAUSES LOSS Esrl.
MATED At $4,000.
BLOCK
AND CONTENTS BURNED
Of Clinton Fire Department
Saves Entire Business Section From
Destruction - Business Firms in Ad-
jacent Buildings Move Stocks to
Places Of Safety.

Maquoketa, Dec. Gone hundred
thousand dollars is the estimated fire
loss sustained here Saturday afternoon
when the Stevens block on Main street,
occupied by the postoffice, several
mercantile establishments and many
professional men. was totally destroyed
thru a blaze which originated in the
walls of the second floor. presumably
thru defective wiring. The fire, which
was discovered at 1850 in the after
noon, was not brought under control
until ) o'clock, and was still burning
late Saturday night. A shortage OF
water, occasioned when the water
works pump burst under too heavy
pressure, hindered in the fighting OF the
flames, but with the arrival OF the Clin-
ton fire company and a restoration or
pressure. the main business portion OF
the town was saved. One fireman.
Carol Phillips, is in the hospital with
slight injuries. sustained as he Tell
from truck when overcome by the
dense smoke.
Many Firms Suffer.
The building. which is total loss,
was owned by A. L. Cook of the Jack
son State Savings Bank. Firms suffer-
ing the loss OF their stocks were the
Lane & Buchner furniture house, which
occupied three floors Of the building:
the Pastime theater. the Butterworth
news depot. G. c. Ellis & Sons denta!
parlors and the Frank Raft barber
shop. The fixtures and much of tbs
mail of the postoffice was destroyed. A
falling wall crashed thru an adjoining
building occupied by the Rntterworth
boot shop. but fire was not communi-
Gated to the stock.
BEFORE the discovery OF the flames
they had eaten their way thru the sec
ond floor walls to the elevator shaft.
and from there were quickly com1uuni-
Gated to the third floor. 1t was pos
sible to remove some of the furniture
from the first floor of the Lane &
Buchner store before the local depart
ment discovered that II was unable 70
fight the blaze single handed. Tele-
grams for aid were quickly dispatched
to the Clinton and Davenport fire de-
partnen,s.
Lack Of Water flinders.
Shortly before the arrival OF the
Clinton company the accident to the
water house pump occurred, leaving
the mains with only what pressure
could be derived from the standpipe
When this supply was exhausted, the
company was without any water what
soever fer a period of fifteen minutes.
With the starting Of the pump the
large main cracked and the water COM
pany was forced 20 divert the aow
thru the smaller mains of the city.
Main street Saturday night was COM
mercialIy deserted. Every establish
ment in the block. on both sides Of the
street. has removed its stock and
sought temporary locations in other
quarters. The building fronts had been
covered with -a:e--soSGe1 canvas &c
save the plate glass windows. The
postoffice safe and the majority OF the
mail in the racks and boxes were re-
moved to the alley with the outbreak
Of the fire, and a temporary federal
location has been established In va
cant building. The town is without
pany wires having forced the shutting
off OF the current
Insurance May Balance Loss. e.
Il is impossible as yet to obtain a
statement Of the insurance carried by
the affected firms. but II il thought
that the majority of the loss is fully
covered
F'iremen will fight the blaze in shifts
turnout the night The frigid atmos-
phere has rendered the ruins a sheet
of ice and the men work under great
discontinue. All Of the restaurants
outside the burning distric. are serving
hot coffee and sandwiches TO the COM
paniek. A high wind from the east
which prevailed at the outbreak OF
the fire, has died down, and 1t is
thought that there is no further dan
ger Of tEs flames spreading.