The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-08-01
A FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR
BLAZE.
Fire Early Friday Morning De-
str0ys Schrub & Tall Garage.


the corner of Fulton and Henry streets,
has the fire department been called out
to combat so stubborn blaze as the
one of last Friday morning in the
Schrub & Tall garage. The alarm was
turned in at 7:30 o'clock and there was
quick response on the part of the fire.
men, but when they arrived the flames
had gained such Roadway and the build
ing so filled with smoke that to get
water on the fire was almost an i'm
possibility and the first work of the
firemen was to prevent the flames from
spreading to adjoining buildings.
The origin of the fire was in the rear
part of the garage where one of the
workmen was generating gasoline
blow torch preparatory to doing some
work. Flames from the torch ignited
oil and grease on the work bench and
spread so rapidly that the workmen
were driven from the building at once.
For three hours the firemen worked as
fremen never worked before and it
was due only to their splendid efforts
that all the adjoining property in the
block was not totally destroyed.
At the time of the fire there were
twenty-one cars in the garage, ten of
them belonging to Schrub & Tall and
the others were owned by patrons of
the garage. ]. A. Jensen, Geo. Blanch-
ard, Mrs. M. Mooney and M. L. Car
rier each had their cars there and all
of them carried insurance; Harry
Langworthy's new Buick was without
insurance as was also the new bort of
Carl Stricken; Joseph Loughran of
Stoughton, two travelling men and Lou
Green lost their cars upon which there
was no insurance. The Schrub & Tall
firm had on hand three tractors worth
81, 900 each and there was no insurance
on these machines. The building and
all tools were insured. The F. G.
Maves Co., pool and billiard rooms;
sustained loss on their furniture and
fixtures which was partially covered by
insurance. Lackner & Knapp, cleo
trical supplies, are losers to the extent
of about $500, their stock not being in
sured.. The Schrub household goods in
the upper story were partially covered
by insurance.
The garage is practically total loss,
although the front walls are still stand
ing but in such condition that they
will probably have to be torn down
should a new building be erected on
that site. All that portion back of the
front walls was completely burned and
the Albert Smith barn which adjoined
in the rear was completely destroyed.
1t was only by quick and efficient work
of the fremen that the Spike livery
stable was saved, there being less than
two foot space between that and the
Smith barn.
The burned building was erected sew
eral years ago and was originally used
as bowling alley, hitch barn, pool and
billiard hall and living apartments in
the upper part of the front. William
Schrub, present owner, purchased it
about six years ago and of late it has
been occupied by Schrub & Tall as a
garage, F. c. Maves & Co., pool and
billiard room, Lackner & Knapp, cleo
trical supplies, and the upper front
rooms by VIM. Schrub as living rooms.
The dimensions were 78x100 feet, brick
veneered front and portion of one
side, the balance being wood frame
covered with iron. This old wooden
frame together with oily matter and
gasoline in the tanks of cars made per-
feet fuel for feeding flames, and the
wonder is how the fire department sue
ceeded in holding them under control
sufficiently to keep from spreading to
adjoining buildings.
1t is quite conservatively estimated
that the loss caused by this fire will
exceed fifty thousand dollars, that sus-
tanned by VIM. Schrub, owner of the
building, and his partner in the garage
equipment, Charles Tall, being the
heaviest loss. The loss to Lackner &
Knapp, who recently started in bust
ness on limited capital, falls quite
heavily, as it also does on F. c. Maves
& Co. Adjusters representing the va
rious insurance companies were on hand
as soon as notified hut have not yet
finished their work. Everything now
points to satisfactory adjustment.
After an hours fighting the fire and
at that time the prospect was good for
several hours more, number of peo-
pie were specializing as to how long
the water supply would hold out, some
even predicting that it would not be
very long. Supt. Reynolds report
shows that when the pumps were
started the standpipe pressure was 70
pounds and at the finish, after nearly