Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-12-20
BEN JEWELL HOME
DESTROYED BY FIRE
One of the Most Disastrous Residen-
tial Blazes in Years Last Friday
Morning.
FINE HOME ALMOST
A TOTAL WRECK
Many Bad Fires Past Few Days.
Farm Residence Near Ridgeway
Burned Yesterday Morning.

! Last Friday forenoon about eleven
| % clock the fine brick residence Of
| MIR. and Mrs. B. E. Jewell just north
CT the Milwaukee passenger depot
was practically destroyed by fire.
The fire, as We understand it, origin
ated from the cook stove chimney,
starting in the garret, and practical
| ly the entire roof was ablaze before
| it was discovered by neighbors. whe
notified the Jewell family, and the
ire alarm was sent in. The fremen
arrived about five minutes after the
alarm, and the first hydrant they
came to at the corner of the H. F.
Barthell residence was found frog an
up. 1t had been used by somebody
tor flushing purposes, we under
stand, and the caps were not put
back on. This necessitated the fire.
men moving to another hydrant a
block further down the street, and
by the time they had water playing z
on the flames, they were beyond their
control. A high wind was blowing
and the day was bitter cold big
crowd of people gathered, and nearly
all Of the household goods was re-
moved before the flames got to them.
The attic was full of many things
that the family priced. in the way e
antique furniture, and other STUFF,
which was all destroyed. The less
comprised many things the family
had in their farm home for years
Irast.
The house was a two story brick
!!stsag sta! Gd{e d{{e and has Ten large Reons,
| If7e0~ooms on theSpsAo$osr 20 n5.
en- the lower Only one room, in tfis
northwest corner of the \lower floor
escaped the blaze. The roof wad
burned completely away Every 9th
Ter room in the house was more or
less badly damaged The fact OF It
being brick house, was the only
thing that prevented the walls go
ing.
While the household goods wers
being carried out, two accidents hap
pened Manly Aim, who was assise-
| ing was on the second floor, ard
when the roof began to cave in he
jumped off the porch, a distance Of
about fifteen feet and received bad
fracture of his right leg. He is now
at the Decorah hospital and his ia
juries will lay him up for loag
time. Ben Jewell was hit on the TOP
of the head by a falling timber and
narrowly escaped a fatal injury. As
it was he received a scalp wound
but was around 2s good as ever q
short time afterwards.
Jewelis carried only $500 insur-
ance, but OF course the loss is much
more than that. They will rebuild
the home as soon as possible. At
present they are living in the Sol
berg fiat, the former VIM. Nicolas
key building, first door east Of the
Winneshiek.
The fire is a severe loss to the
family and coming as ii did at this
particular time Of the year. it is any
thing but pleasant for them, and
their numerous friends here extend
lSympathV TO them
The Ole Juve farm home about
two miles south of Ridgeway, was
partially destroyed by fire yester-
day morning. Oscar Hovden is the
tenant on the farm.
The Geo. Schultz home six miles
northeast OF Postville was complete
ly destroyed by fire on Friday. rhs
family had under erection a fine new
home near the one destroyed. They
were still living in the latter, and
lost all their furniture, clothing,
Ietc
We understand the Mabel opera
house burned Friday night, also.
A fire at Oskaloosa Friday did a
S250,000 damage. burning up many
business houses and large livery.
One OF the Graham-Lattimer chain
of variety stores was burned a loss
lof $4,000.