Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-01-24
BAD FIRE THIS MORNING
RESIDENCE OF S. l.. MONSTERS
Quilted BY FLAMES AT
THREE O'CLOCK.
Fire Started in Basement, and Got
Good Headway Before Dis
covered.

/
the residence of S. l.. McMasters on
West Main street was practically
destroyed by fire; which started in
the basement, presumably from the
heating plant. The residence is on
the corner of Main and River
streets. Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Schrem-
ser live in the next residence east,
and the family was awakened by
the smell of smoke about 2:30 o.
clock and got up to investigate. Mrs.
Schremser went out on the front
porch and discovered it was the Nc
Masters residence, and turned in the
fire alarm.
Z. III. McMasterS, the eye special
| ist was at home alone, his parents
being out of the city. He was asleep
| in one of the front rooms on the
second floor, and after being arous-
ed, had barely time to get out of the
house alive. He got out OF the bed
room window on the large front
Torch and Mr.. Schremser procured
ladder, which was near the house,
and helped McMasters wrapped i'm
blankeD, to the ground and took
him into the Schremser residence
where he was cared for.
After the firemen arrived, they
had troubles of their own finding hy-
drants to connect up to that were
not frozen. Before any water was
procured Mr.. Schremser broke in one
of the windows, the house being fill
ed with dense smoke. The flames
| by this time had made rapid head
way and the firemen were unable TO
check them. The residence (the
former E. |. Weiser home), is a
large square two story brick, con-
tanning in the neighborhood of ten
or twelve rooms. Not an article of
furniture, household goods, wear
ing apparel or valuables of any kind
were saved. The fire ate it's way into
every room and destroyed all the
contents. The walls remained in
tact but the interior of the house
was completely Quilted. Although the
roof didn't fall in the fire burned
through it in several places.
The only article saved was an ice
box that was standing on the rear
porch, and this was carried over 20
the Schremser residence.
The firemen had a hard time
battling the flames and remained
on the job for over four hours. The
hydrant on the opposite corner OF
the McMasters residence was frozen
up, as was the one near the west
corner Of the court house square.
The firemen finally got connections
with the hydrant on the Grand opera
house corner on Water street and
the hydrant on the corner of the
court house square near the postof-
| flee.
The fact of the MIGRANTS being
frozen brings forth plenty of kicks
from different people, but we under
stand the hydrants are always test
ed in the fall, and were last fall and
found TO be in good shape. AS to
taking any other precautions to pre-
vent them from freezing, we do not
know what could be done, unless
they all were well banked every
winter. 1t seems to us that such pre-
cautions should be taken every fall.
We understand that an insurance
of $4,000 was carried on the house
and contents.
The firemen feel more than CRATE
full to Mr.. and Mrs. Schremser, who
prepared plenty of hot coffee for
them, and took the boys all in and
did everything to make them COM
Portable during the intervals that
they could get away from their work
at the fire. They dried their nit
tens out for them, and the boys had
the opportunity to get their fingers
rhawed out also, as it was a bite.
cold morning.
l.