Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-01-18

InlCSI OIL one OIL In6 WOTSC SLOrnlS
ever experienced in this village the
Volunteer Fire Department was called
to battle with a fire that tested
their mettle and proved their eff
cheney last Saturday when the frame
building on South Fulton street
caught fire and its burning placed
III jeopardy the adjoining buildings
together with the destruction of
thousands of dollars worth of pro-
perty.
Fire was discovered in the upper
story Of the two story frame build
ing occupied by the Huber brothers
on Saturday morning at about seven
thirty when some one in the barber
shop on the first floor happened to
notice fire working through the
ceiling. An alarm was turned in
and in the face of the blizzard that
fremen with their chief S. B. Over
myer responded to the call with the
fire truck and hook and ladder equip
ment. The fight they put up dur
ing the next two or three hours was
strenuous enough to test the endur-
ance of every one of them and to
win for them the respect of every
citizen of Wauseon.
The 'bakers dozen" of members of
the department were helped mater
tally by citizens who evidently con-
sidered themselves members of the
Reserve Corps" and went into ac-
ton Npder the direction of the Fire
Department officers with a zest and
effectiveness that helped to win the
day. To save the building in which
the fire originated was impossible
under the circumstances and all eff
forts were concentrated upon keep
ing the fire from spreading to the
adjoining buildings. On the South
side with only a narrow y wooden
stairway between. is the two story
frame building owned by Casper
Reichhardt, of Acme, Michigan, and
occupied by Harmon Krauss as a
meat market. while on the North
side with only an outside stairway
between is the Harrison building,
two story brick veneer; the gale was
blowing from the south and West
with fierce intensity forcing the
flames upon the South wall of the
Harrison building; had the fire got
through the single brick verneer of
this wall not only would the clothing
stock of the Harrison Funkhouser
Brothers and the home of Professor
and Mrs. Sims who occupy the fiat
above, fallen prey to the fire fend,
but it is quite conceivable that sew
eral of the buildings that form a
practically solid block to the north
of the Harrison building might have
been consumed before the fire could
have been checked; But for the
splendid and persistent efforts of the
fremen and their helpers and the
efficiency of the Fire truck, which
must hereafter be regarded as some
thing more than an expensive tcy".
it is quite possible that this is ex-
actly what would have happened.
Last Saturdays fire was the en-
ergency which proved the wisdom Of
equipping the volunteer fremen with
the very best fire fighting apparatus;
many times $1,000. 1.-THE cost of the
| truck was saved to the citizens of
Wauseon.
The firemen worked on regardless of
the storm and freezing weather; some
of the boys mounted on ladders direct
! ed the stream of water upon the blaze
until it seemed as though they must be
frozen stiff and would fall from their
perches. Many of the boys suffered
frozen ears noses and even parts of
their faces but they stood by their
posts until the victory was won and
the last spark was extinguished. The
pressure of the city water works was
}, altogether inadequate and only the
pressure generated by the truck motor
made it possible to keep the streams
playing upon the flames.
Following is the list of the fremen:
S. B. Overmyer, Chas. Eastman, Geo.
Geer, William Hoag, Geo. Schwaner,
Gust Bauer, Carl Edison, Arthur Cor
such, Wayne Harris, Carl Clark, Amos
Morningstar, Joe Hampshire and Ed
Furney. They were ably assisted by
the following volunteers: Elmer
Myers, Geo. Lindley, Frank Harper.
Arthur Fields, Albert Kolb and Geo.
!, Gillen.
None of the contents of the Huber
building were saved; the barber shop
: furniture, owned by VIM. Huber was
covered by $500 insurance Andy
|, Huber who lived in the rooms above
the barber shop lost all his household
furnishings and all clothing except
what was on his person.
The Hubers will open barber shop
in the building just south of the Edg ,r
, and VanRensselaer undertaking rooms,
formerly occupied by George Essef as
| fruit store and ice cream parlor.