The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-16
small Blaze Results on Seventh
Floor Of Hotel Iowa This
Morning From un-
known Cause.
DAMAGE WILL BE SMALL
Another Fire Called Deparement Out
Last Night At Ten O'clock
Driver Watson is
Injured.

Il 4 + + II = > g y
Baled paper stored in the. seventh
floor of the Hotel Iowa was found to
be on fire this morning about 1880
o'clock. An alarm of fire was turned
in. and the department responded,
bringing all the apparatus to the
scene. The fire in the paper caused
considerable smoke which poured out
of the upper windows. The building
itself being freproof, there was little
danger. and the blaze was confined to
the top floor. Several OF the guests
SAID they heard the commotion, an.
some even saw the window frames
burning, but they paid no more atten-
ton to the affair, knowing that they
were safe on the other floors.
The fire loss will be insignificant.
Insurance Is all carried in the Hobbs
agency There is $4,000 carried on
the building and $4,000 on the furni.
ture The fire loss will be very slight
unless some OF the water leaked down
the walls by following the pipes. In
this case some redecorating will be
necessary. From $500 to 81, 500 is the
estimate put on the loss by the insur-
ance people.
When the firemen reached the top
floor they found considerable smoke.
There are no partitions here, the top
story not being furnished. They found
that the fire was in a pile Of waste
paper which was being baled here.
There is stored on this floor some
extra chairs, and other articles. One
line OF hose was brought up the rear
stairway and another was brought
through the lobby and up the elevator
shafts. Four lines were laid. Besides
this the hose in the halls down stairs
in the hotel was brought into use.
orinin 10 Not Known.
Several Of the window frames were
ignited by the blaze and the heat.
These caused the impression that
there was more of FIRE on this top
story than there really was. Smoke
from them could be distinctly seen
from Up the street.
The origin of the fire is not known,
although there have been. several
theories advanced. One of these is
that cigar stump might have been
carried up with the last waste paper
and might have smoldered. Another
is that there might have been matches
in the paper
Guests Not Alarmed.
The guests in the hotel for the
most part We're not seriously disturb
ed by the commotion. One of the
guests told about waking up and see
ing the window casing burn, and then
rolling over and going to sleep again.
until his regular call came. He said
that he knew the hotel was. ire-proof
and there was no reason for him to
get excited.
Other guests on the various floors
who learned of the cause OF the dis
turbance either got up to watch the
work OF the firemen, Or dressed lsis-
urely and made their way down stairs,
surprised at finding the lobby full of
hose,
The Hotel Iowa is OF fireproof con-
struction and there was no danger Of
any Of the blaze spreading beyond the
one floor. The guests knew this. and
Tor the most part were unconcerned.
Some of those who slept on the fifth
floor, got UP and hurried out of the
house. but the majority took it all as
a matter OF course.
Truck Driver is Injured.
Harry Watson, driver of the Sixth
street engine house reel. was pain
fully injured last night when he was
thrown from the truck near the cor
ner OF Second and Exchange streets.
His right knee was wrenched and
bruised so seriously that it was neces-
sarv to take him to his home.
The accident occurred when the de-
partment was called out to fire at
IA Exchange street in house owned
by Richard Evans. Watson was lay
ing seconG line of hose when he
was thrown from his trcuk.
The alarm was sent in at 1905. By
the time the department arrived the
roof of the one story frame house was
mass of flames. The roof or the