The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-03-19
Fire eSweeps
2Buildings;
Loss Heavy
Flames in Beddeo Store
Spread, Offering Stiff Re-
sistance TO Firemen Bat
thing i'll Zero Weather.
Falling Ice Hurts One

Fire Of unknown origin ragged
through the Elmer Beddeo store. 14l1
Douglas street. early yesterday morn
ing totally destroying one building
and putting another. The property
damage was estimated at more than
S1S3,000.
Famed by a 40-mile an hour gale.
the fire swept from front to rear of
The building in a few moments. For
more than three hours the firemen
fought valiantly to gain control Of
, the flames. As rapidly as the flames
in one portion of the building would
be snothered another section of the
ploee would burst into falmes
The fire was discovered at $50 and
it was not until $50 that j. r. coyle,
assistant chief. declared the flames
under control F'iremen were covered
with ice. Huge icicles hung from the
walls and water that had frozen on
he sidewalks and strets made stand
ing perilous. The men who controlled
he nozzles of the hoses crouched at
he curbing afraid to stand for fear
OF falling and being injured by the
mamouth nozzle they held
waiter smells SmOEe-
]. Thomas. ernploye of the Virginia
restaurant. located in the building
neSt TO that occupied by Beddeo,
smalIed smoke, he said. shortly after
lie searched the restaurant but
could find no fire then. As the
smoke persisted. he decided that i.
must come from the store next door.
tx~ 4 Il
10 explain his action when firemen
arrived II they could find no smoke.
\ few minutes after the fire de-
partment reached the scene of the
fire a second alarm was turned in and
at Gas Martin Dineen, assistant chief.
turned in a third alarm when his mem
told him that the flames We're spread
ing to other structures.
Twenty companies responded and
eight lines of hose were laid to throw
water on the flames. The work of
the firemen was hampered by the
high wind and the bitter cold. Hose
lines were frozen SO hard that the
men We're almost unable to move
them. Ice-covered streets made walk
ing difficult and the ice on the walls
OF the building menaeed the men
working below.
Fireman Huri.
Julius Munster, pipeman with en-
gine company 16, was injured when
piece of ice struck him on the head.
lie was taken 10 the police station
and attended by the police surgeon,
then taken TO his home. This was the
only accident reported. though sew
eral OF the men complained OF fros -
hands and faces.
The buildings damaged were:
Elmer Beddeo company. $4,000.
Virginia restaurant. $4,000.
Dams Hat and Shoe store,
Soa.00u.
=. NJ. Letting, owner Of the
bdildlngs, $4,000.
The entire loss is said 10 be covered
by insurance. No time is TO be lost
in reopening the establishments, the
owners declared yesterday. Elmer
Eeddeo said he would leave at once
for the east to purchase an entirely
n,w stock. n. S. Payne. proprietor Of
tie Virginia restaurant. said his place
would be opened as soon as renovated.
Dams Shoe and Hat store win open
been made.
Easements Flooded.
All three OF the Easements under
the buildings are flooded. The fire
men were held on the job after the
flames had been extinguished 70
svphon the water out, but the work
progressed slowly owing to the slush
that formed. AS the streams ran
from the syphon they froze and the
syphon itself had to be moved from
place TO place to get clear OF the con
slantly forming mounds of ice.
When Tom Dennison heard that tho
firemen had fought the continuously
for more than five hours. he ordered
chicken dinners at the L. p. res
iaurant for 70 OF the men. The men
were almost numb from their long ex.
posure and moved stiffly. The subber
coats were covered so heavily with
ice that the men were able to stand
them in the restaurant.
A brick wall that had been built
over the rear entrance TO the bace-
ment OF the building blocked the fire
mems efforts 10 attack the fire ana
this is said 10 be the reason for most
- the damage.
The fire Is declared to be one OF the
worst in the downtown district n
years. The fire itself was not so bad,
firemen said but being forced to fight
IT in the bitter cold and handicapped
by the high wind made 1t worse for
theN.