Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1921-02-03
OLDLANDMARK OF
CITY PRACTICALLY
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Three-story Structure on Cor
ner of Main Street and
Fourth Avenue, Known as
Old Wallace Block, Burns
Firemen Still Working.

At four o'clock the fircmcn
were still working ut the fire,
n part of the east wall having
fallen. The blaze had not reach
ed the offices OF the StutSman
County Press or the LEM Land
and Loan Company. but WAS
burning on the floor above, and
parts of the offices were clut-
tered with debris from the other
floors in addition to the damage
whicl, had been done by the
smoke and water.
A fire alarm at noon called out the
department which responded quick
ly TO blaze that started under the
stairway of the VidgerLewis Co., in
what is known as the old Wallace
building. a three story brick struc-
ture on the corner OF Fourth avenue
and Main street. Smoke soon began
pouring from windows on both the
first and second floors and from the
office Of the Lenz Land and Loan Co.
on the Fourth avenue side. The fire
department had hose in action and
streams played on the interior Of the
building but the difficulty in locating
he exact source Of the fire was con-
siderable.
The occupants on the ground floor
are the Lenz Land Loan Co.. the
Stutsman County Press and the Lew
is-Vidger Co. The second floor is
occupied by Fred Ludviesou anil Ole
Anderberg, who have roOUls owe"
the fruit house and OIL the Sout: side
of the building rooms we've occ'lp-
led by Messrs. Johnson and keeland.
Chester Powell, wife and child and
W. w. Lees and family, vino occup-
led rooms on the second floor. proir
to the first of the year, mad moved
from the building. The third floor
was formerly used as an l. O. o. F.
hall. but has not been in use for
SOME time except temporarily, Il
short time ago, by the Holiness iny-
man delegates, who used the hall as
sleeping quarters. Fred Ludvigson
las occupied rooms in the building
for seventeen years and al! his world
~ belongings were in the room.
During the progress of the fire an
explosion over the fruit huose occur
red from the interior, blowing out
windows and filling the street with
dense smoke Just what was th.
cause of this is not known.
All the automobiles in the adjoin-
ing building of the Northern Auto
Co., We're removed to the street as
precaution against possible damage
from the fire.
The building is owned by different
parties, ownership being divided a.
monSst the Lenz Land Loan Co., and
j. B. Burgster. The fruit house oc-
|cupies the east end Of the building.
The building was originally built
by the late r. e. Wallace and for
many years was known as the Wal
lace Block.
The N. P. Hose Company fire car.
was brought to the scene of the fire,
at 1870 P. M. and pumped a heavy
stream on the building from the N.
2. tracks, opposite. The building
was deluged with water from all four
sides. but it was impossible to en-
tinquish the blaze on the interior.
At about 2:30 P. M. the roof fell in,
and the entire upper floors were
destroyed. The building is practic-
ally ruined, the walls only remain
ing and whether they will be con-
s1dered safe or not for any fu-
ture use, is doubtful.
There was considerable insurance
on the building and contents, just
now much could not be learned. The
.Stutsman County Press carried in
surance on it's machinery and 1lant.
The building was about 40 years old.
and the solid brick walls were erec-
ted with brick made by Anton Klaus,
in the old brick yard east Of the
city. A large and interested crowd
of spectators watched the fire aud
the slow but sure destruction of
the building.
The fire in the Lenz-Burgster
building formerly known as the
Wallace block, has consumed thu en-
tire contents of the building and two
or the walls only are now standing,
the north and west wall. The south
wall buckled last evening about H.
80 o'clock. and fell out crushing
thru the roof an dthe floor into the
basement of the one story brick
building adjoining owned by the
Northern Auto Co. This buildill. is
practically wrecked from the falling
wall of the other building. The auto
garage part OF the building. however,
is not badly damaged and all the au-
toes Were removed to safety during
the fire.
The south wall which fell outwards
was was released BY the burning of the
roof. which fell in and the wall was ]
at the roof and at the
joists; on the second floor. b When
the roof and joists burned there was
nothing to hold the wall from top
lfns over: The east Wall 81 no B
greater: part of IT, tsll early Is 8ths;
Eirs. q The smpke md heat swefisS to 4
treat 81 any time dqx the IN q.
attempt to push ,r1ull 0vsr y
'oatll VAL q ana