Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-22
LOSS MORE THAN 100000,
WITH INSURANCE $4,000
Blaze Which Started in Mailing Room
Early Sunday Cuts Entire Four
Floors and Recommendations Made to
Issue Temporarily From Other Of
fees.


more than 100000.
Eighty per cent of the value Of the
property was covered by insurance.
The policies in the aggregate amount
to 49,, 900, $13S,O00 being on machinery
and contents and $4,000 on the build
ing.
By courtesy of the Des Moines Daily
Capital, the Register and Leader and
Tribune are temporarily housed at the
home of the Capital. Definite arrange
ments for quarters during the rebuild
ing OF the plant not yet have been
made.
The fire started in the mailing room
in the basement at an hour when on
Sunday morning the building was all
but deserted. Its origin is not def
nitely known, but as always there are
various reports including one to the
effect that one or two or three news
boys, who were in the mailing room at
the time carelessly threw lighted
cigaret on the floor. This could not
be verified.
There was some delay in getting the
alarm to the fire department and the
blaze had gained considerable Roadway
before Chief Burnett's men got into
action.
Stubborn Fire.
The fire was one of the most stub
born with which the department has
had to contend in years. Despite the
pouring in of four or five streams con-
tinuously at high pressure the flames
slowly but surely crept upward and by
8: 80 o'clock were internationally break
ing out thru the roof and the windows
Of the composing room on the top floor.
A small shaft in the rear Of the mail
ing room and running to the fourth
floor afforded an easy passage way.
On the way the flames invaded the job
printing department on the second
floor and the engraving department on
the third.
Though both of these rooms were
filled with heavy machinery only a
small section of the floor Of the job
printing plant gave way, carrying to
| the bottom several huge rolls of paper.
The presses and other machinery
though practically ruined, remained
in place.
! The same is true Of the fourth floor,
which is wrecked from end to end.
The weakened floor supporting part
of the heavy sterotyping machinery
gave way landing the big steam chest
| in the basement.
| The dozen or more typesetting ma
chimes on the north and west sides OF
| the room remain standing.
The workrooms Of the editorial force
were not touched by fire, though type
writer's and large amount Of news
paper material were ruined by smoke
and water.
Loses Records.
The adjoining room, known as the
"morgue" room. between the working
quarters and the job department, was
completely wrecked with it's vast ac-
emulation of newspaper engravings
and reference matter. The floor of
this section gave way, carrying to the
bottom it's contents, which when it
landed, was just mess of junk.
The wreck in the business office
on the first floor was no less COM
plete than in other sections of the
building, though books and records in
the vault are intact.
The extent of the damage to the
large newspaper presses in the rear
Of the mailing room is not yet known,
though it is hoped they can again be
put in commission.
All records in the advertising and
circulation departments are believed to
be safe.
BY noon the flames had been COM
pletely subdued. At one time it APP
peared as though the plant OF the
Capital City Carriage Company adj
| Joining might share the fate OF the
Register and Leader building, but the
firemen succeeded in preventing dam
age in that quarter.
One Of City Landmarks.
No fire Of Des Moines in recent years
has caused such great regret all along
the line as the destruction Of the plant
of the Register and Leader on Sunday
morning.
A year or SO ago Mr.. Cowles bought
frontage on Locust street half block
west of the Chamberlain hotel with the
intent Of having erected thereon
large building for his plant, but for
some reason work was deferred. tits
an ideal location, or at least is so Tar
superior to the location just now made
useless by fire that there is no COM
parison.
The Register and Leader building
just destroyed by fire was one OF the
! landmarks of the city. In olden times
It was the financial center Of the city.
1t was there West and Allen had their
banking business for many years. and
| Deacon" Whites office was just a
little way down the street. The Iowa
State Register was moved into the
building some forty years ago, the
famous o'clock tower was built and in
the days when the Clarkson regency"
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