Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-05-17
A BAD fire MONDAY
Hardware Store of G.. Fischer &
Son Severely Damaged.
ONLY PARTIALLY INSURED.
COnflagratiOn Due TO Unknown Cause,
But Started Near Large Oil Can.
Over In Half Hour.

Monday afternoon about / o'clock
the fire bell rang. and in less time than
it takes to tell it the fire department,
accompanied by numerous volunteers
were on north Madison street oppo-
site @. Fischer 4 Sons hardware store
where a terrific blaze was in progress.
The fire started about 1 o'clock and
was first noticed by Henry Pagenkopf
who was on his way to the postofffce
to mail a letter. Mr.. Pagenkopf pass
ed the rear of the Fischer store and
noticed a small ball of fire at a point
where the 50-gallon kerosene oil tank
is located.
Mr.. Pagenkopf notified Geo. Tuck
wood who gave the alarm and then
went across the street to G. w. Knapp
4 Son where he obtained a Pyrene
tube and coming back played it on
the blaze. By that time the fire had
gained such Roadway that the Pyrene
tube was of no avail and in the very
few minutes taken to get the fire hose
attached and directed on the blaze, it
was burning through the roof at a
lively gait, accelerated further by the
brisk south wind.
The building is built entirely of
wood and the rear part where the oil
tank was located soon became a mass
OF flames. For a few minutes it looked
serious for the implement house of
Fischer e Pagenkopf located next door
and the Til1er livery barn just north
Of that The firemen worked like Tro-
jams, however, and with the direct
pressure coming shortly from the
standpipe, we're able to confine the fire
90 the building it had originated in
md eventually quenched it without the
structure being completely destroyed
II the stock totally damaged The in
eriOr of the rear part of the building
vas completely charred, the glass be-
ng melted down on the windows. 1t
5 presumed that the oil tank which
vas only partially filled, exploded
hrOwing the burning oil throughout
he room and causing the blaze to
pread as fast as it did. The front part
Il the building where the hardware
vas located, received considerable wa
En- damage which will have to be later
determined. In the rear part the nail
iarrels were burned so badly that the
Ontents ran out on the floor and some
lther articles we're consumed. Over
lead where some articles were stored
he damage was equally bad.
Mr. Fischer carried $500 in the
Grant County Mutual Insurance Com
pany on the stock, and S11OO on the
stock. and $500 on the building in the
Bloomington Mutual He at once called |
Bloomington and notified Mr.. S. A. |
Hatch, the agent. Mr.. Hatch had Lin
coin Abrams. the adjuster on the way
here in a few minutes time. Monday /
evening the damage was adjusted. Mr.. /
Fischer getting $500 on the building /
and $500 on the stock
The firemen were severely drench-
ed by the water and swallowed some
smoke, but did not desist in their eff
forts until the fire was out. The gar
ages up the street hastily got all au-
tOmObiles out of the buildings and in
TO the street. Mr. TiIIer next door
had eight horses of his own in his
barn and a quantity of feed and hay
that would have gone had not the
AS a peculiar evidence of how many
things can happen in a few minutes,
the entire display" was over in less
than half an hour. And yet it SEEM
"a to the fire laddies and the specta-
tors that twice that amount of time
had passed by. By 1:30 the fire was
cut. the hoses were reeled back onto
the carts and the crowd had dispersed
leaving North Madison street, except
Tor the burned place, all serene again.
One thing might be said here that
viii do not harm and might do some
good. 1t is very common habit for
spectators. and the writer is no ex-
eeptiOn to the general custom, to
butt i'm" when a fire is in progress
md without knowing exactly what to
70. get i'm the way of people who are
rained to the matter and know ex-
lctIy what should be done. but are
lampered by well-meaning but futile
effort on the part of volunteers. One
man. it is said actually ran the noz-
lie end OF a hose to the fire cap and
he entire affair had to be turned
around causing some delay, when de
tays were dangerous. An auxiliary ;
'0rce of constabulary to establish fire
inc, might not be bad thing.