The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-02-20
THOMPSON BUILDING
DAMAGED BY fire
HALF BLOCK IN DANGER


Fire Of unknown origin partially
destroyed the @. r. Thompson build
ing at the corner of Egan avenue and
First street NE, containing the office
and shop OF the Electric Supply com
pany, and inflicted some damage to
the adjoining room, occupied by the
John Hopper coffee house last night.
The Electric Supply company loss is
] $1,400 and is nearly covered by
: 1900 insurance.
The alarm was turned i'm al $3.50
by a passing pedestrian who noticed
smoke emanating from the Electric
Supply company office. Before the
firemen and the apparatus arrived
five minutes later, the flames had
gained a fair start and when the lines
of hose began to play on the fire. the
flames were shooting out in all di-
rections.
Some one smashed the glass in the
door and window and three lines of
hose. one from the First street side,
where the boys were compelled to
tear out part of the wall and the
other two from Eean avenue at
tackled the blaze.
They fought for an hour before
the flames We're subdued. When the
flames threatened to engulf the cof-
fee house one hose was used to ar
rest their spread. For u time, how
ever. il appeared ats if the entire
building might 60.
In the coffee house the flames Sc
cured a start on the roo and in the
space between the west wall and the
plastering in front. Then the men
were forced 10 rip out part Of the
west wall before the streams OF water
could accomplish much The blaze
was stubborn and the men were
compelled TO erect a ladder. mount
three men on it,. and fight the fire
from an i%nconvenient footing before
they could Control il.
An absence OF a breeze aided the
fire fighters who would have been
powerless TO cope with the fire had
the northwest wind which sprang up
about midnight. appeared two hours
earlier. Such a force would have
spread the flames over half the block
and wiped out all the buildings oc-
cupying the space.
Chief Robertson said this morn
ing that had such a factor interviewed
the boys would have been powerless
to save a thing and about all they
could have done was TO have watched
il go. Everyone is thankful. includ-
ing l.. l.. Peck and The Daily Leader
that the flames were checked so rap
idly.
Had they progressed 20 the furni-
ture store south. the stock within
would have burned like finder and
generated an intense heat certain to
catch the adjoining building occupied
by The Daily Leader. In fact. if the
boys had arrived fifteen minutes
later the building nearest the corner
would have been completely wiped
out and the half block on fire.
VI iIlti AlAiEi D. w lpoN iEOh III
rected the fighting until Chief Jas.
Robertson arrived and remained on
the scene until a slip of the hose,
when the men holding IL lost control,
drenched his clothing and forced him
to retire. The boys stayed with the
fire until IL o'clock when the cry
she's through" sent a lot OF weary
fighters down the ladders and home
The fire came at a bad time for
some of the volunteers as most OF
them were at home when the alarm
sounded, some were asleep or getting
ready for bed, and things were vel
under way when they arrived. Many
citizens, owning property IL the
threatened section, also got out Of
bed and came downtown.
A crowd of young men, many mere
boys, were the first to grab the ap.
paratus and hustle it to the scene. all
rendering yeoman service.
1t seemed as if the whole town
was there to watch the blaze. The
cold, however, and the ability of the
firemen to control the blaze sen
most of the people home thirty min.
utes after the alarm sounded.
Chief Jas. Robertson stated this
morning that he had not yet discov.
cred the cause of the blaze and sur
missed ii was one of those "mysteri'
Gus fires that break out despite al
precautions. He is pleased with the
work of the boys in controlling the
situation so promptly.
Messrs. Roche and Nelles, of the
Electric Supply company, beside:
losing their stock, lost many of theil
personal effects and Mr.. Roche hi:
car which had been stored in the