The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-04-11
Big FIRE AT ST. NAzlAhz.


big fire swept the village OF st.
Nazianz last Friday afternoon, destroy
ed thirteen buildings, hardware store,
grist mill, photograph gallery, the
st. Nazianz State Bank, building,
saloon, ice house, barn, two sheds, ice
cream parlor, bakery and confectionery
and five residences. The loss is
estimated at from 100000 to $4,000,
covered by about $4,000 insurance.
The fire started in the engine room
of the Backhaus grist mill, cause un.
known. A southeast wind caused it to
spread to the adjoining buildings and
those on the other side of the street.
According TO Mr.. Backhaus, he and
his workmen were in the grist mill,
grinding feed, when suddenly flames
from the engine room shot through the
doorway and the room was quickly
filed with smoke and fire. Both men
escaped from the building uninjured
A great effort was made by a bucket
brigade to confne the flames to the
one building but it was soon evident
that this was impossible as the fire
licked the adjoining buildings and soon
they were enveloped in flames.
When 1t was seen that the home bri-
gade could not cope with the situation,
emergency calls we're sent to New Hcl-
stein, Kiel, Collins and Manitowoc fire
departments. The three villages sent
their apparatus and volunteer depart
meuts. The Kiel fire fighters were the
first to arrive and the New Holstein
and Collins companies with their hose
carts arrived soon after The Joe Mall
man saloon and barn was last to burn.
At7P M. the interior of the building
was mass Of fire. The fighters worked
almost the entire night Smoke from
the confiagration was carried many
miles.
Five families were made homeless
by the fire, The largest being that OF
Frank Kautzer, who with his wife and
six children was driven out on the
from the st. Nazianz State Bank build.
ing and burned his house to the ground.
1t was owned by Aug. Kramer. The
other house across the street belonged
to Mr.. Sukowaty. The Nick Backhaus
family was also left without shelter.
Ignatz Burkard his sister and two
nieces, lost their home and bakery
shop. George Fessler's photograph
, gallery and residence bui ned down and
Joseph Mallmaa saloon and barn and
ice .ouse Eare destroyed.
When the flames had reduced the
Backhaus hardware store, grist mill,
garage and engine house to ashes, al
most the entire east side of the street
was on fire, but instead of spreading to
the residence OF John Koenig and the
general store, operated by w. @. Gron,
adjoining the burning buildings, the
flames leaped clear across the two
frame buildings nearest the fire, jump.
ed across the street to the north and
set fire the stone house, saloon and
barn owned by Joseph Mailman. From
there the fire spread to the Joseph
Hildebrand ice cream parlor and the
ice house Of the saloon and quickly con-
sumed them. The residence building
adjoining the ice cream parlor to the
east, was saved by the Kiel fire de.
partment.
Asked as to the cause of the fire, Mr..
Backhaus said that he did not know.
~ was working in the grist mill when
ire suddenly started in the engine
room," he said. 81 have no idea what
caused the fire. 1t is mystery to me.
There was no explosion"
The village was visited by thousands
of people from Manitowoc and Sheboy-
gan counties Friday afternoon. Sym
pathy for the residents of the quaint
old town was expressed on every side.
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