Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-02-12
PLATTEviLLE SUFFERS BY FIRE AND GREAT
EXPLOSION EIGHT KILLED.
FOrehand Block 75x9O Feet BurnsExposon Blows the
Into Streets Covering Many Persons-Besids Dead Ii Were
Badly Enthusiastically Prepared Account of Catastro
phe Made by Herald Man on the Ground.

| Word that ran like wild fire was
passed around in Lancaster last Sat
urday afternoon to the effect that an
explosion had occurred in the Fore
hand block at Platteville at noon that
day which resulted in the death OF
seven and serious injuries to Is 9TH
ers. Subsequent investigation proved
that the first reports were too mild
and that the number of fatalities was
eight, and the loss of property was
well above $4,000.
About o'clock Saturday, it was re-
| ported in the street at Platteville
that the Forehand block was on fire
The fire department responded quick
ly to the call and soon had streams
of water playing on the flames which
were just bursting out of the building
There had been smoke in the building
for several minutes, but the occupants
did not apprehend the terrible calam-
! ity that even then was hanging over
them.
The Building.
| The Forehand block was one of the
landmarks of the city. 1t stood ON the
north side of Main street, between
Main street and the city park. 1t oc-
cupied space of 75x90 feet, and was
occupied on the main floor by the Peo-
pies Shoe store, on the east side, Len
Vanderbie's jewelry store, a restaur-
ant and the Buxton grocery store. On
the second floor were the offices of
DR.. E. A. Dunn, George Metcalf, law
yer, G. E. Rafter, owner of the build
| ing, George l.. Garrett, mining en-
! ginea", and apartments occupied by
four families.
1t was in part an old building. but
had recently been Overhauled and
made quite modern and very present
able in appearance. 1t was three
stories high the upper floors being
used by a cigar factory The owner
at the time of the fire was c. E. Raj
ter, who had rather recently acquir-
ed the property, coming from some
southern state. He was among those
who persisted The west store of the
four was first built, and this is said
to have been of veneer construction.
in fact some of the old timers of
Platteville say that the whole build
| ing except that portion occupied by
! the shoe store, the eastern portion,
was of veneer construction.
Spontaneous OOAAUuStAVAs
1t is said that fire smouldered for
long time in the basement. 1t is
claimed that the whole building was
filed with smoke, but the tenants
took no particular heed of that. Mr.
Youmans, the pioneer druggist, says
/ that he was passing the block, just
after dinner and spoke with Mr.. Van
derbie. who was then letting down
I the awning in front of his jewelry
store, about the great volume OF
smoke then visible in the store, and
told Mr.. Vanderbilt that he would bet
i ter make arrangements to move out
But Mr.. Vanderbilt took it as joke.
How long the fire had smouldered
was impossible to rearn but certain
it is smoke was there in annoying
i and dangerous quantities for many
minutes before the flames burst out
No cause is known for the fire, and
i it is the consensus of opinion in
Platteville that it was case of spon-
taneous combustion The fire smoul-
! dered in the basement for distinct
and appreciate time, before it was
| visible enough to cause an alarm to
be turned in.
When the flames broke out, it was
most stubborn fire to subdue. For
time it was feared that the business
portion of the city was doomed, and
calls were made. so it is said. on
neighboring towns for help 1t is
said that Cuba City responded, but
!, of that no specific confirmation could
be had
Then Came an Explosion.
AS the flames were at their height,
and firemen were nearthe fated struc-
ture performing their perilous duty,
came an explosion, and there are
those who say that as many as two
explosions occurred This had the eff
| four directions. The high walls,
three full stories in height, fell to the
ground, burying all who were within
the doomed area. Main street was
| Uttered clean across to the sidewalk
on the south side of the street. The
| street on the east side of the block
was filled with bricks and heavy tim
| bers. and on Sunday afternoon none
of the rubbish had been cleared away.
i So it was on all four Sides The
tops of the wall fell as much as 40
feet from the foundations, and if any
human being within that doomed al
ea escaped with his life, it was moth
ing short of a miracle. Great squares
of the Eesvy brick wall were in The
cutters across the streets from the
building, just as they fell. Even the
heavy fall did not break the solid old
walls, brick from brick.
Besides the bricks, great timbers
| that had been in the frame of the
| c+ruof,Iro charrnd and narfiv jo1lrun,i
away, were on Sunday as they fell.
Window frames, heavy IN construc-
ton, were blown many feet away, torn
by the power Of the explosion, from
! their places in the walls. There is
every evidence that the explosion was
a most powerful one.
For four hours the building burned
| fiercely, and the heat is said 10 lave
been intense. Surely it was all of
that, for the telephone operators.