The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-12-17
SUNDAY NIGHT FIRE
TOTALLY DESTROYS
lST WARD SCHOOL
FLAMES ARE DISCOVERED AS
BUILDING is NEARLY CON-
SUMED, NOTHING SAVED

| Fire of unknown origin completely
destroyed the splendid school build
ing situated at the corner of North
Bridge street and Ellis Ave., Sunday
at midnight. 1t had gained so much
headway at the time that it was dis
covered that by the time the fire de-
partment arrived on the scene in an
swer to the fire whistle warning all
they could do was to look on and see
to it that none of the other buildings
which stood across the street and
some distance from the burning
building took fire from it.
William Barton first noticed the
flames and notified the telephone
central office at once. The telephone
soon had driver Elmer Cook out Of
bed and as he started out for the fire
the whistle on the water works blew.
The big whistle on factory A of the
Belding-Hall Co. did not blow, for
some reason or other and on account
of the wind conditions which prevail
ed at the time but few people awaken
ed or knew that there was a fire in
the city. Many people living right
in the immediate vicinity of the
school failed to hear the whistle and
were surprised to learn in the morn
ing that there had been q fire during
the night ard that instead of the
proud looking Ellis school building
nothing was left sanding but the
blackened front and rear walls.
The school was built thirteen years
ago and cost at that time $500 and
was of brick construction. 1t was in
g. ~
Insurance. when old valuations of ten
and fifteen years ago are taken into
consideration, but entirely inadequate
when present day building costs are
looked at The building, to be re-
placed at this time, will undoubtedly
cost in the neighborhood of $4,000
or $4,000, to say nothing of the loss
of time and the inconvenience to
which the board of education, the tea
chers, scholars and people in general
will be put to while the new building is
under construction. 1t is practically
a $12,0 900 loss to say nothing of the
books, etc. which were the property
of the scholars and the city.
Several people living near the
school state that they are certain
that they heard one or two explosions
at about eleven o'clock and this might
have been the cause of the fire, had
the furnace exploded at that time.
However, Fred Clanchy, janitor in
charge Of the building had been in
the basement attending to the fires
and left there at 9:30 o'clock and he
states that everything was in fine
shape when he left the building. The
real cause of the fire will perhaps
never be known.
Tn school board members at once
got busy with the matters connected
with the caring for the nearly $50
children who attended school and as
soon as equipment arrives which can
be used, the grades which were held
in the building will be held in the city
hall rooms and possibly some in the
Alvah N. Belding library until such
time as the new building can be re-
built.
With the crying and urgent need
of a new and larger school building
at the central grounds, the burning
Of the Ellis school comes as a double
and makes the matter more
complex and difficult for the school
board ond the people.