The Kadoka press. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1923-current, 1924-02-22
Fire Destroys
Light Plant
CARBURATOR EXPLODED. LOSS
$4,000 WITH 1900 INSURANCE
FIREMEN CHECK SPREAD

nesday had just played out late
Wednesday afternoon or goodly
section of Kadoka might now be
no more.
Earl Sichler, in the employ of
Neil Rounds, was just starting
the light plant for the evening run
shortly after four o'clock when the
carburator suddenly exploded and
elected a mass of gas through the
room, which at once caught fire
and enveloped the engine room in
a sheet of flame. little could he do
against the oil fire to check it. He
gave the alarm and Kadoka's will
ing volunteers promptly rushed
for the chemical engines and the
hose carts. 1t was at once appar-
ent however that the fire could
hardly be extinguished and that
the best the boys might do would
be to save adjoining property and
to confine the conflagration to the
one building. When both chemi-
cal engines had been emptied into
the fiery furnace, the destructive
elements still refused to yield.
Angry tongues of flame shot
through the windows apd hungrily
Tapped over the street where just
across the large hotel Dacotah,
a frame building, would be pala-
table food. Good luck however
was with the fremen for there was
little or no wind.
Fiercely though the furnace
ragged, the firefghters were un-
daunted and had the adjoining
property we'll covered. A handi-
cap that greatly impeded their la
bors was the broken water tower.
The service man was at the pump
ing station and had to rush madly
out towards the source of supply
a mile and half from town and
apply pressure to the watermains
before the waterhose was of any
use. He did his work well and in
record time and soon the stream
30 deadly to fire surged through
the hose and then the boys fought
on more effectively against the
source itself. Pete Simons at the
nozzle gamely did his best. Buck
master was right in the midst of it
bravely facing the smoke and wa
ter. Joe Carpenter was handy
everywhere. Charles Roye too
faced danger and discomfort un-
flinchingly and the fire chief, J.
H. Fryberger, stuck to his post to
the last although soak Il through
to the skin and covered from head
to foot with chemicals II is Lard
to give adequate praise just where
it belongs in an emergency like
this so we just mention what ap-
peared to be outstanding helpers.
There were a hundred or more will
ing hands, who stood ready to do
all that was asked of them.
After an hours battle the men
triumphed over the elements Of de-
struction. No adjoiniW property
caught fire and the flames were
laid low where they started. 1t
was then possible to survey the
damage.
The two story frame building
which formerly used to stand just
south of the Pearl hotel and which
was moved onto the lot across the
street north of the Dacotah hotel,
was no more than a mere perfor-
ated shell. The inside was entire
ly gone. The first wind will bring
the remains to the ground. The
two four-cylinder engines and dy-
names are wrecked beyond re-
pair, An auxiliary Delco light
plant used for emergency to gen.
crate the current for the movies,
is added to the wreckage. so also
are the numerous tools and appur-
tenances needed in the light and
telephone business. Upstairs a lot
of accessories, creamery equipment
of the Fairmont Co. as we'll as all
the clothing belonging to Ear
Sichler. Jerome Emery and }. u
Gilkerson. who roomed there, is
consumed. Each of the boys lost 8
hundred dollars or more and hae
only the clothes that covered theil
bodies.
Neil Rounds however was tn
heaviest loser. He conservativei!
valued the building and contents
at $4,000 with only $500 covered
by insurance and this latter hat
Just been taken out upon urgen
requests Of J. e. Brocklesby as