Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-13
LOCAL FIREMEN
ANSWER SOS.
MAKE run TO BLOOMFIELD IN
TIME TO SAVE LARGE PART
OF CITY; LOSS, 1880.

j Bloomfield was visited by a disas
trous fire early this morning Of un
known origin, which caused loss esti
mated at $22,500, part of which is GOV
cred by insurance. The work of the
Ottumwa Fire Department, which re
sponded to the call for help from the
sister city, is credited by the people
OF that city with saving the west side
of the public square by combining the
damage to that section. The local fire.
men returned to the central station at
8:45 a. m.
OWNER WAkENED BY FIRE.
The fire was discovered by E. E.
Gibbons, whose store, with the A. B.
WEIGH drug, store, occupied the first
floor of the Gibbons building, three
story structure in which the fire start.
ed. He has living rooms on the second
floor of the building and was awaken.
ed by the sounds of cracking and fall.
| ing timbers about 2:40 a. m. Making
hasty examination he found the
building ablaze and mad time to put on
but few clothes before he escaped and
then with difficulty. An explosion oc.
CURED within the building giving
impetus to the flames.
The fire burned fiercely, consuming
the structure in which with the apart
! mants of the owner, the Offices of DR..
H. c. Young and John w. Teed, the
latter being headquarters for the
Davis County Red Cross and the Davis
County Sunday School league and a
well paper store were on the second
floor. The entire third floor was used
by the Masonic lodges, A. F. & A. M,
Royal Arch Masons and Eastern Star.
The contents of the building were
destroyed among these being the char
ter Of the Masonic lodge in parchment
which was written in 1S48 and valued
highly by the organization.
When the walls of the Gibbons build
ing fell they toppled over on the Davis
County Savings bank building, the
second floor of which houses the law
Offices of Payne & Goodson. The Hig-
bee building adjoining was the next
victim and the John Burgess jewelry
store suffered water damage. The
bank and Highbee buildings we're part
ly destroyed.
oTTUMWA GETS S. o. S.
The Bloomfield fire department had
but two streams of hose and these
burst shortly after the full pressure
was turned on, making the efforts to
stem the progress of the fire almost
futile. A conference between citizens
resulted in the call of the fire depart
ment from here at 3:15 a. m. and the
run was made in forty-five minutes.
The local firemen had difficulty on the
way over getting tire puncture when
four miles out of Ottumwa and en-
countering bridge out at the Rock
Island crossing near Bloomfield that
made a detour necessary They also
had difficulty with the lights on the
truck.
The Ottumwa truck and firemen
were welcomed and soon had mum.
Der Of streams playing on the fire. BY
and the west side of the square saved.
The Bloomfield citizens invited the
firemen to breakfast and they left for
home shortly after o'clock.
THE FIRE VICTIMS.
An estimate of the losses follows:
Gibbons building, $4,000. Partly COW
cred with insurance. )
DR.. Young, $4,000. Insurance,
s., 900.
WEIGH drug store, $4,000. Insurance,
$4,000.
Bloomfield Savings bank building
estimated value, $4,000, partial loss.
No estimate given of the damage to
building and contents. Insured.
Red Cross headquarters, $500 in
Christmas seals and $25 in books.
Aside from this a large lot Of books,
receipts, correspondence, records, fur
niture, typewriter and desk valued at
$500.