The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-08-24
Obertop's Fire in 1879 Was Disastrous
and Pet Animal and Adve rtise-
ment Lost His Life in
Blaze.
SOME OTHER BAD FIRES
keokuk Department Has Had a Num-
Der of Serious Ones to Fight But
Losses Have Been Kept to
Minimum.

| Keokuk has had several costly fires
since 1879, a glance at the records of
the fire department will show. The
first fire recorded on the fire depart
ment's record for 1879 is that which
occurred on February 8, when G.
| Obertops store at Third and Main
Streets burned. A frame building, it
was in those days, and was caused by
la hot stove being too close to the
counter. 1t was in this fire that the
famous Obertop monkey persisted.
! Another big fire in 10 was that OF
the st. Louis and Keokuk railroad
roundhouse, which occurred Septem-
Der 7. The origin was unknown, the
record says.
July 9, 1880, a brick house on
Franklin street between Fifteenth
and Sixteenth streets caught fire, and
damage was 5000.
Mrs Hunters boarding house
caught fire February IS, 1881. 1t was
located at Fourth and Morgan streets.
| The old plow works was not the
only big fire that called the firemen
out, almost to the city limits, for on
May 26, 1881, fire destroyed the +.
Nv. Anschutz property on the canal
near the second lock. Sparks in the
roof caused the damage, and a one
! story frame and two story brick
dwelling were damaged.
S. P. Pond and Company and the
Ideal Spice mills had a blaze June
of the same year.
! The j. G. Henderson factory burn
ed May 81, 1882, with a large loss.
/ Elevator Burned.
/ The Keokuk Elevator company sus-
tanned serious fire loss June &, 1883,
when the elevator on the levee burn
ed. The loss is given at $4,000 on
the building.
/ The Comstoch Stove works suffered
fire of $4,000 damage on stock
alone January 10, 1884. On February
IL. the firemen were called to The
Smythe home at First and Concert
streets. The loss there was over
thousand dollars r-
! October 8, 1885, the ST. Louis, keo-
kuk and Northwestern railroad sur
Tered loss by fire in its round house.
The loss was $4,000.
October rs the steamer Plowboy,
owned by A. Wempner, burned at the
boat landing at the foot Of Main
street The loss was $4,000.
Lightning struck the steeple or st.
Peters Catholic church August IA,
1886, and caused damage to the
amount of $1,000.
Main Street Stores.
In. October, 1889, at 1920 o'clock
on the night of the twenty elghth, hre
broke out in the Spiesberger building,
4O6 Main street, the Richards store,
4OS Main street, Brinkman's, 404
Main street, F. H. Jones, 402 Nam
street Sullivan and Auwerda, 40
Main street and w. E. Moore, Judge
Davis and DR.. Shaffer, all on North
Fourth street.
A range exploded in st. .1oseph's
hospital June q. 1906. July OF the
same year H. C. Hodges residence at
Twelfth and Fulton streets was DAM
aged to the amount of $1,000.
December is. 1907, St Paups church
was damaged by fire.
In February, 1909, fire damaged the
residence Of A. J. Matthias, to the eX-
tent Of $1,000. ooo
In April of the same year Si3ooo
FIRE occurred at the White ice house.
, January u, 1912, occurred the Dig
fire that destroyed the Masonic
tomnle at Fourth and Main streets
November 20 of the same year Jesse
e. Bakers house was burned with
loss Of $4,000
Other fire losses up TO the present
time are given here:
1918.
I January 31-Mrs. e. S. Carter
home: loss $4,000.
Anril 25-I ena Hammes millinery
store 800 Main. Loss, $500.
+ Anril 2s-No. 303 Morgan; loss
$4,000
September 12-Purity Oats Co;
So 900 loss. ..
december GA. e. Matless home,
i126 High street; loss $4,000.
February 17--Andy Hickey's store
ION Bluff street; loss sZ,ooo.
February 27-Kilbourne home, Sec
ond and High streets; loss $6,ooo'
May 26-Harrison Jumper yaro'
loss $500.
/ August 1I-AyeI SdidS 'N' "N
son street; loss $500.
j october 23-VanAusdall garage
915 Johnson street; loss $4,000.
/ 1916
! January 27-D. A. Golfers auto de-
stroved at Seventh and Bank streets;
loss $1,000. 49,, .zEo
S.v 1o-Country club building;
loss $1,000. o,oo.ou.
december 2S-Davidson elevator
loss $4,000.
1916.
/ August 10-Wm. Short candy sIore'
I421 Main street; loss SZ,3oo.
1917.
February II. F. Daugherty nome;
lloss $4,000. 4. 10,