Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-11-19
FIRE TRUCK STALLS;
SOUTH SIDE HOME
BURNED TO GROUND
RESIDENCE OF MR.. AND MRS.
FRED COLE ON ca ST (
STREET DESTROYED By FIRE
WHICH CAUSED 5000 LOSS.

At the psychological moment th'S
morning, when It's services we've paoly
needed 10 help fight serious confia
grafton which attacked the home ol
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Cole, which up To
% O'Clock stood at 63i CHRISTIE street,
the ci.ys fire Innk saidellly went o'!i
pr ccnmis ion. leaving the department.
and mes Of its fire fighting parapher'
aaNia 81. andod at the foot cf the South
side mill
Because o. the Departments inabil
ity to ge, is equipment to the scene
OF the blaze. the home was leNelled,
causing q loss to Mr. and MIS-. Cols
of So 600 The truck, which refuse.
to bulge after its engine died or 9eats
stripped had to be given TOW bhch
to the station by a Scherer BrC ,herS
truck. The cause of its sudden going
cut of commission is laid TO engine
trouble. due largely TO the antioLated
features possessed by the truck after
years of service.
The thing that happened this morn
ing has been uppermost III the MINDS
of the firemen as their one biggest
nightmare Every man on the force
has been fearing just some such d
failure in a crisis, and now that the
thing has taken place they are evinc-
ing no surprise, Their prayers for h
new and modern apparatus prCpa1N
now will be hardened 10.
The tiaanes which attacked the Cole
m o. = ii
with small contiagration at ihe f're
kammerer home near The United
State Silica plant. 10 which chief Bois-
senin, Deputy Chief Stevenson and the
G.. amical bus We're summoned on d
still alarm. After the department
heads had gotten we4 On the WY
toward the silica plant. the alarm
came in from South Ottawa. and the
truck, manned by regulars, was sent
on the way. Just as the big machine
reached the foCt OF the nil the engine
stalled All efforts to revive il tailed
and the apparatus had to be tran,
ported TO the Christie street number
as best il could be moved. The delay
gave the flames such neadway they
ragged almost unchecked until he
Mouse lay in ruins.
The fire is SUPPOSED to have started
trCm a new furnace only recently in
stalled by Mr. Cole. The flames fol
lowed the chimney to the attic anl
from there spread over the entire roof
IN a few minutes time.
Mrs. Cole. while sewing in an up-
stairs room, was first to discover the
fire Her attention was called TO q
mysterious cracking. which seemed
to come from the roof A hurried
search disclosed to her that the upper
porlio Of the house was totally en-
veloped in flames She sent a hurried
call into ihe station. hut lhe accident
to the truck forced the tiremen to
walk or run to the scene.
A brave attempt was made to pre-
ven, the fire from spreading about the
structure but with no results. the roof
being completely burned off and the
walls cavcd in All furniture and be
longings were rescued from the house
by neighbJrs Of the Cole family ana
| placed in nearby residences.
Seeing the home couId not be Sayet
, the attention Of the hremen was ai
once turned TO nearby houses, and the
! strings OF hose were turned on them
TO prevent fire starting. They were
in very critical condition at on
time, as the flames from the burnins
house leaped many feet from the burn
ing structure Mr. Cole stated thi:
morning that he had the house in
sured, bu not heavily
Just before the fire at Fred C-lc
residence in South Ottawa, Chief Ste
venson received u call from Chris
Kammerer Of West Ottawa stating hi
barn was on fire.
Kammerer's barn is Just west o
, the United States Silica sand works
between there and the County Homo
he had Just built modern barn an
eQuirped II Wi,n eyerying necessar,
and had sixty tons of hay stored i
: il. How the fire started in Il myster,
II started in the west end Of the bar
and didn't take long for il TO be
, mass CT flames. When the tireme
arrived there WAS no chance OF checi
: ing hhe flames. so their attention wa
> drawn to another large stack OF ha
west of the barn. This stack contain
= ed ninety tons Of alfalfa hay.
- OTTAWA Nfe I.HleTS lTl"u III WI
' TO prevent further loss. bat the ha
= being thoroughly dry, easily went
y ashes.
: The barn was entirely destrOyt
" and was valued by Mr.. kammerer
:, 81 .0CA The total loss is estimated
s.. 600. Mr. Kammerer stated that h
hay and barn we're only One-fonr
covered by insurance.
W ------.--
80