Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-12-29
FIRE THURSDAY NIGHT
CAUSES HEAVY LOSS.
Four Buildings on Main Street Burned
to the Ground with Contents in
Raging Blizzard.

: Hurley Thursday night destroyed
four buildings on main street oCCu
pied as places of business, drov
- five families from their homes ant
caused thousands of dollars dam
: age. With the wind blowing at
furious rate from the northwest
and with the thermometer register
ing IS degrees below zero, it LOOK
ed for time as though the IRE de
partment would be unable to stem
the progress of the fire and other
sections of the village were threat
ened. The brick building owned
by Pete Galdabini on the east, oc
cupied by Joe Charbonneau's fur
niture store, is probably the only
thing which prevented spread of
the fire to the east, and while
sparks and huge brands of fire were
blown on to buildings across the
street the large amount of snow on
THE roofs of the buildings no doubt
prevented the fire from spreading
to the south side of the street.
Tie first building on the west
was owned by Massucco & Marti-
netti. An addition on the rear of
this building was occupied by the
owners as a bakery, the bakery
building together with its contents
being destroyed, as was also The
main part of the building fronting
on Silver street, the west part of
which was occupied as a shoe re-
pairing shop by Alfred Sacchetti.
Mr.. Sachetti lived upstairs above
his shop and lost all his personal
belongings, being able to save only
a few clothes. Mr.. SacChetti had
81 500 insurance on his equipment
and stock, his total loss being about
81 900.
The east part of the building on
the lower floor was occupied as a
tailor shop by Nacco & Caponero.
A good part of their equipment and
stock was carried out and saved
Their loss will probably amount to
a few hundred dollars, with no in
surauce.
Two families, John Nittone with
wife and three children, Anton
Massucco with wife and two chill
dren and Battista Massucco lived
upstairs over the tailor shop. They
lost all their household goods and
were not even able to save any
wearing apparel the fire having
gained such Roadway before they
were awakened that they had bare
" time to escape i'll their night
clothes. The loss on the Massuc-
co & Martinetti building is about
-, 900. They carried 81 500 in
surance but we understand the DO!
icy had expired about ten DAYS ago
a confectionery store on the
main floor of the Gertz building
adjoining the Massucco & Marti-
netti building on the east was de
stroyed, with loss to the proprie-
tor, Peter Stefani, estimated at
= about - 900. with no insurance
Mr.. Stefani and family lived in the
rear of the store.
Sam Gertz suffered the greatest
loss in the fire, his building valued
at about $1,000 being burned to
the ground together with Sl5.0OC
stock, with the exception of some
furniture which was carried into
the street. He had 81 500 insur-
ance on the stock, $1,000 on the
building and 5000 on his house
Hold goods, Mr.. Cert and family
Z made their home over the furniture
store and suffered the loss of all
their personal effects and house
hold goods. \ great deal of his
stock was stored above the confec.
tionerv store and most of it went
up i'll smoke
The next building in the path of
the flames was that of Christ Lon
ghini adjoining the Cert building
on the east and occupied as a saloon
. by Nick Morzeuti. The building