Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-25
FIVE PERSONS HAVE NARROW
ESCAPE FROM DEATH At
~ CEDAR RAPIDS.
RESCUED FROM WINDOWS
BY CITY FlREMEN
Clothing and Shoe Stocks Ruined and
Building Damaged in Fire Which
Causes Loss Of $40, 00o-Vietins A..
Most Suffoeated Before Rescued
Hang From Windows.

Cedar Rapids, Feb. 25.-F'ire break
ing out at 1880 this morning, from an
unknown origin in the two story build
ing on the northeast corner of First
street and Third avenue. west, threat
ened the lives of several people who
roomed over the stores and destroyed
$40, 900 worth OF property.
Persons who passed by the building
at lis Friday morning failed to notice
anything unusual but when the fire
company reached the scene at l: 80
the building was enveloped in smoke
and men and women were hanging out
OF the upstairs windows begging for
some one to save them. Attic the
smoke was so dense that II was i'm
possible to see thru II, the fremen ran
their ladders TO the second story win
dow and removed two women, one
man, q boy IS years old, and another
Is years old. The women and children
were nearly suffocated by the smoke
and had to be carried to nearby houses
and restaurants that were open.
Smoke Awakens BOOMERS.
The building, which Is owned by
Henry SmuIekoff, is divided into three
store buildings on the first floor. The
upstairs rooms were occupied by the
NJ. NJ. Kaufman and the E. L. Steele
families. A woman with two daugh-
tiers also had rooms over the building
but it was impossible to learn her
name. The lower floor is occupied by
the Ben Pohorsky Clothing Company
on the corner and the Cedar Rapids
Bootery on the river side. The center
store Is vacant.
BY tho time the Kaufman family
were aroused their rooms and the hall
was 20 full Of smoke that 1t was i'm
possible for them to reach the stairs.
The only way they were able to sur
vive was by hanging out the windows
on First street until the aremen could
run their ladders up. Mrs. Kaufman
andEa girl who had been spending the
night with them were carried down
first and they seemed to be nearly suf-
located. The girl, however. seemed to
be In the worst shape for she could
merely groan and cough and seemed
to be only semi conscious. The little
child was next carried down and Mr..
Kauffmsn and the older son were able
to get down the ladders alone. People
living across the street Immediately
took them in as they had been forced
to leave nearly all their clothing in
the building. The rear OF the building
on First syeet Is occupied by the
O'Brien bicycle shop and the rooms
FER thaS arc occupied by an Averili
emily who were just able to get QUE
before the smoke blocked their way. y
Not Able TO Locate Fire. II
The 6remen were handtca pped In
their work by the fact that It was next
to Impossible to locate the blaze. The
basement was full OF smoke and az
near as could be ascerta.ned the fire
started IN the northeast corner OF the
building under the shoe store OPP
Grated by a man named Cohen. The
stocks in both the shoe store and the
Pohorsky clothing store were nearly
ruined by the smoke and water. The
upstairs halls were filled with smoke
even after the doors were opened and
tho no blaze could be located there
it was very apparent that 1t was creep
ing up the walls and the building was
doomed.
Building Badly Quilted.
At An early hour the firemen seemed
to have the fire under control. The
main blaze had been located in the
east wall where there seemed TO be a
sort Of smudge. It seemed that It
would be necessary to tear away
large part of the wall to extinguish the
blaze.