The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1921-04-02
MADISON HAD
FIRE LAST NIGHT
X. j. BAXTER'S INIPLEME N II
WAREHOUSE AND STOCK DE-
STROYED.


the other of a very serious nature.
Along about eight o'clock last even
ing the siren in library park sounded
and the engine and fire fighting crew
made quick start for some indie
finite point only to find after going
block or so, that a false alarm
had been given.
The second alarm announcing a
fire came along about 2:20 this
morning and at that time it was
discovered that r. j. Baxter's imple-
ment house on the corner of Van
Fps avenue and First street s. w.
contained a blaze that threw a scare
into the hundreds of people coming
out SO early in response to the long
sustained shrieks of the electric
siren.
Night Policeman George Farrand
saw the blaze a gew minutes after
it had gotten a start in the south
center portion of the Baxter estab-
lishment. Being practically the dead
of night the fire company had first
TO dress and make all speed for the
fire hall, which, of course, occupied
several minutes of precious time. 1t
happened that fire chief l. d. Lee
and Ray Pheiffer were out of town
but that made little difference So far
as volunteers were concerned There
were sufficient ready in moment
to man the engine and auxiliary
truck and get busy on tremendous
task, that of accepting the challenge
of the fire enemy that had in its
path a string of frame buildings side
by side all the way from Van Fps
avenue to Egan avenue.
By the time the company got into
action last night the flames from
BaXter's place of business had spread
the entire length of the building ana
also had eaten their way through the
roof, great clouds of smoke rolling
eastward over the city as barrel after
barrel of lubricating oil, stoed in
the north end, blew up and intensi
flies the degree of heat.
Three couplings were made, one
near the front of the Raad garage,
another down by Pete Hanson's shop
and the third on McKillip's corner.
From these a steady volume of wa
ter was projected into the fiery pit
along the sides and on the roof OF
VIM. Welling's barber shop and
rooming house, which, it was well
known were doomed for destruction
despite all efforts TO save them. 1t
was plainly obvious that BaXter's i'm
plement house could not be saved
through even the most strenuous eff
forts. After directing floods of wa
ter that way a greater job faced the
hard working fireman, namely, that
of undertaking to save DR.. Hart
wich's veterinary hospital and the
frame building just west Of Jacks
restaurant. The crowd present were
fearful that, with such a start, the
conflagration would stalk right on
east and emerge on Egan avenue aft
er licking up the four buildings in
the path of the fiery monster.
AS soon as it became realized that
Mr.. Baxter's building was sure to go,
a line of men filed into Mr.. Welling's
barber shop and rooming house and
carried out all the furniture and
household necessities it was possible
to remove. These were placed in the
street and guarded well until morn
ing dawned. Any attempt to save
machinery in the burning implement
house was futile, except in one in
A -I nd f~Ir
were rescued, but the balance of the
contents, which included a $4,000
to $4,000 stock of International i'm
plements, were simply ruined.
The great wonder is that Iver
Raads garage roof was not also set
on fire. 1t was dangerously near to
the burning structure to the south.
The fact that it was of brick was
the one redeeming feature in that di-
rection. Had not the garage stood
where it now is q strong wind from
the west would have given Madison
the greatest fire loss it has expert
enced in its history. The five frame
buildings facing south on First street
south would have been entirely wip-
ed out with great damage to adjoin-
ing brick structures on Egan avenue
just east of the fire center.
Mr.. Welling's buildings were i'm
mersed with streams of water pro-
jected under well sustained pressure
and thus escaped total demolition,
though for dwelling purposes they
are past repair. This morning Mr..
yelling stated that his loss would
be close to $1,000 and this mostly on
barber shop equipment, household
goods and other personal belongings.
From 2:20 when the fire was first
discovered until day dawned the fire
company thoroughly drenched the
Baxter corner and the yelling build
ing. No one could have worked
harder to Quench an Unsuitable blaze