The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-11-23
EFFORTS OF HREMEN j
PROVED. OF NO AVAIL
:, -.s -
Unfortunate Man In Basement
Could Not Be Reached
ESCAPE WAS BLOCKED
Furnace In His Building Exploded ;
Flames Follow; Caught
in Trap

Loss OF one life and probable ruin
of three buildings resulted today
noon from a fire which had its ORR
gin in the Dnrenberger Harness
shop at 52S South Front street. The
fire was reported to have been
caused by the explosion OF a fur
mace in the basement of the harness
shop.
]. P. Durenberger is reported to
have persisted In the basement Of
the building when caught In the
confiagration which Immediately fol-
lowed the explosion. Reports that
Durenberger was taken out or the
rear Of the building could not be
verified. Captain Funk Of the fire de.
partment stated Durenberger had
not been removed from the build
ing.
All of the reserve firemen in the
city and North Mankato were called
out in the two calls sent out by
Chief Ben Bangerter. At one o'clock
this afternoon the fire threatened
the entire south end OF the 800 block
on the west side.
Smoke Beiehed Forth
Huge clouds OF smoke belched
forth from the building and darken-
ed the entire section Of the street.
Police lines were thrown out to
keep the ever increasing crowds OF
people away from the building.
; Firemen were hampered in get
ting at the main part OF the fire
due to the heavy belching OF smoke
which poured out OF the basement
windows, roll after roll. At times
the entire building was covered
with heavy, black smoke.
Officials OF the fire department
feared that a stock OF coal in the
basement had caught afire which
made the heavy smoke. Firemen
broke through the front basement
windows of the building to shoot
streams OF water into the basement.
Firemen were sent to the roof or
the building to work down from
above onto the fire. Chief Bangert-
er's hosemen were working at the
rear of the building also.
< How Fire Was Discovered
NThe fire was first noticed by VIII
Tire Shop, adjacent to the harness
shop, and Percy Keefe, employee OF
the Nash Motor company. Both first
heard the cries OF Durenberger COM
ing from the basement
"Good God, Help me-" came the
cries from the basement as smoke
started to belch forth from the win
dows. Force attempted to gain en-
trance to the building but failed. He
kicked in the basement windows but
huge gusts of smoke prevented en-
trance to the basement. Smoke also
prevented them from entering the
first floor OF the building.
Durenberger Is believed to have
4 heen working at the furnace when
the reported explosion occurred. He
was seriously threatened. Smoke fl
smoke soon after making his cry for
help as no further calls were heard.
When the fire department arrived
the smoke was pouring ont or the
building in great black rolls. Streams
of water were hurriedly thrown In
through the basement windows, but
ineffectively.
The entire south end Of the block
was sriously threatened. Smoke nj
tered through the Force Tire SHOP
the Powell Auto garage, and J. Ly-
nards Commission House. Shortly
after one o'clock employees OF the
Powell Auto company started to re-
move all cars from the garage. 1t
was impossible to enter either the
Force Tire Shop or Lynards.
Firemen attempted to gain en-
trance to the building with the aid
of smoke masks but the smoke was
to heavy for them to penetrate.
Firemen at shortly after one
o'clock this afternoon were trying
to prevent the fire from reaching a
large ammonia tank in the Lynard
building. An explosion is feared.
Shortly before two o'clock the
fire had invaded the Lynard build
ing and was eating its way to the
spot above where the amonia tank
was located in the basement.
About two o'clock the Lynard
building appeared to be doomed as
flames were shooting out OF 1t from
IL Second Fatality In Block.
The death Of J. p. Durenberger to-
day In a fire which Quilted his build
ing at 52S South Front street Is the
second fatality from fire in the five
hundred block on South Front street
within the past thirty-five years
About thirty five or forty years age
a man named Vance, who was sleep
ing In a building about five doors
north OF the Durenberger, was burn-
ed to death.
James and William Lynard, living
over the Durenberger building, had
very narrow escapes from the flames
Fred Harein, living over the Force
Tire Shop, was driven from his
apartments by the smoke! E,
John Meyer, harnessmaker, was
on the first floor in the harness shop
and he heard Durenberger call to
him that there was a fire and 70
bring down a fire extinguisher. Mey-
er started TO go down, but could
not make it. He was 50 overcome
by the smoke that he had to be tax
en- to his home in the north end OF
the city.
The Durenberger stock is valued
at about $4,000 and the Lynar6
stock at about $4,000. The two
buildings are valued at $4,000. The
Durenberger building is entirely gut
ted by the fire.
Fire Chief Ben z. Bangerter this
afternoon descended to the base
ment of the Durenberger building
and managed to work his way back
about half way, but he could find no
traces of Mr. Durenberger. o..
About $4,000 pounds Of live poul-
try in the Lynard building were suf-
located by smoke.
John Never stated this afternoon
that he and Durenberger went to
the basement where Durenberger
discovered a fire In small pile of
rubbish near the furnace. Duren-
berger told Meyer to go upstairs,
get the fire extinguisher and bring
II TO him. Meyer followed the in
go .