The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-09-24
A Destructive Fire

Last Saturday night a few mia-
utes after II o'clock, Mr.. Van Stra-
lem was locking his furniture store
and looking across the street saw
indications of fire in the Loven-
ste'ne store, which is nearly opposite
his own place Of business. He i'm.
methately sent in an alarm and the
sneen whistle soon b ought the fire
department to the scene, and a val
lant hight was made to get at the
flames. The fire, however, had gotten
good start. and fire and smoke was
pouring out of the basement window
on the south and the building was
hlled witt smoke. The building was
Feneered one, with steel ceiling
AND the fire had already worked it !,
way into the studdine Of the walls and
Up into the roof and though stream
OF water from the rear and also frcm
the front entrance was steadily pour
ed into the building for two or three
hours and the chemical was also hrot
into action at times tie flames could
not be reached until tan roof rad cav
81 n. Whenever the blaze made an
appearance it was speedily Quenche,i
bat the fire despite all efforts kenr
! steadily burning between the walls and
the steel ceiling and the roof. and ii
| wa, not until nearly four o'clock in
the morning that the blazing up was
completely subdued. Being unabl,
| to get the water between the walls oil
between the roof ard the steel cell
ing, the efforts of the iremen were
directed to kepinc the fire from
spreading to any other building an,
they succeeded in doing this, as AZ
no time did a blaze show itself before
water was Immediately upon it.
The building is almost q complete
wreck. The plate glass front in tht
lower windows, was saved not /
crack being made in it, and this fact
is good testimony Of the splendid
work accomplished by the fire depart
| ment.
The building was purchased by M,
Lovenstein about year ago. 1t WV,
; insured for $4,000. The stock, con
slstlng Of Women'S wear dry good
and groceries he valued at $4,000
as he had recently received his fal
goods, and upon tais and the fixture.
in tho stole 'Ie had $33 eco insuranc,
The loss at this time when the fal
trae is about 10 bepin /. seHiou
! bios to Mr.. Loaenstcin, wbo has bee
! III stSino@ here sor the mast &eral
stsf Jntl. adjustment II faada il
I ln rance he IS unable to state Whaf
bill plans ale as there ave no yacaet
aUii3in@ to he bad and it i difficult
matter TO oct even place 70 dis
pose Of the fire remnants.
s{r. LovenStein was Oh 4 3urtin-
trip at one Of the lakes in Day coiii-
ty at the time of the fire, but an ant,
was sent after him and brought him
bor1e tie next day.
The origin Of the fire is a mysteY!
Mrs. Lovenstein and Harvey Ma
iicll. one of the clerks ia the stor2
#are the last to leave the building
"hie1 Nas only about half hour BE-
| fore the alarm was sounded. Mr
Masfeld had taken some Jars oi
| iidii W 0ic bttSCiittHl .JliSt DtlOi & 1lsp1
/ ing mp and there was no signs of fir
when the two left the store. Some
suggestions have been made that thu
fire might have started from shor,
circuit of electric light wires, as the
lights during the evening had beer
more or less Pickering, but the elec
tricians say this though possible, i
highly improbable, as the blowing ou
of the fuses would have prevented !.
| fire from this cause
TIE Lovanstein building was
| store structure that was brought VI
from Big Stone City in the early
eighties, and was known as the
Holmes building on Cornell avenue
After being brought to Milbank il
pieces and put together, it was We
nered with brick, and was for a nun
ber of years occupied by Mittelstae.it
Bros, in their general merchandise
business.
y y