The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1929-01-16
Origin of Fire Blamed to Over
heated Pipes Running
Through Partition
INSURED FOR s14,OOO.OO
Firemen Unable to Halt Blaze;
Use Efforts to Save Other
Buildings

In one of the most threatening
fires in Redwood Falls in years, the
Church of Christ structure was re-
duced to a mass of ruins late Satur-
day night, causing total loss, esti-
mated at between $50, 900 and $35 900.
Owing to high wind from the north
west, the business block in which the
church is located was saved from
damage. Had the wind been in any
other direction, nothing could have
prevented a disaster that would
have probably wiped out most of the
business section of the town.
But for the exceptional work of
the local Fire Department, which de-
voted its entire attention to keeping
the flames confined to the church
structure when it became apparent
that the fire could not be checked at
its origin, the City Hall and Court
House would have gone up in smoke.
The bitter northwest wind, with the
temperature more than 20 degrees
below zero, famed the blaze, ripping
off flaming cinders and chunks of
burning wood and hurting them on
adjoining buildings as far as block
away. From afar the building was a
blazing beacon, visible for twenty
five miles, and offering some warmth
to the several hundred spectators who
shivered in the cold to watch the
progress of the fight.
The fire was discovered at approxi-
mately 1880 o'clock Saturday night,
by Harold Duncan, who was working
in the church at the time, heating it
for the Sunday services. 1t is thought
to have started from overheated
pipes running through a partition.
Hearing cracking sounds toward the
furnace, Mr.. Duncan turned around to
be met with blaze coming from be-
tween a partition near the pipes that
ran from the furnace to the chimney.
He Immediately ran to the phone and
put in the alarm. Returning to the
scene of the fire, the whole of the
basement seemed to be blazing be-
tween the different partitions.
Fire extinguishers were used by
Mr.. Duncan, Burton Hauck and Fred
Seifert, but the blaze had gotten such
a start that the small extinguishers
were of no use. The flames raced
from room to room between the
partitions and the ceiling of the base
ment and the main floor. The de-
partment arrived upon short notice
and begun a steady stream of water
into the burning mass. Four fire.
men, Chief Corbett, John Brueske,
Ken Byram and Burton Hauck were
in the basement ripping the ceiling
out in places to try stream of water,
when there was crash of pipes and
ceiling that nearly pinned the men in
the blaze. Getting out in time it was
decided by them that to try to stop
the blaze was useless. The balance
of the time was spent in keeping the
flames confined to the church.
At one time the CITY Hall and the
Court House were both on fire, but
with quick work these small blazes
were extinguished before great
amount of damage could be done. A
lunch was served the firemen with
A. j. Coleman of the Ramsey Hotel
serving coffee at the scene Of the
blaze.
Little, if anything of value could
be rescued from the church building,
and salvage efforts were confined to
the nearby buildings, in which books,
valuable papers and safes were
moved so that upon moments notice
they could be removed to safety. Rev.
Oscar Joneson, pastor of the
destroyed church, lost valuable papers
and his library comprised of over 400
volumes, in the blaze.
The last of the churches debts had
been paid off the week before the
fire. Plans had been made to place
the building and contents under more
insurance, although this was not ac-
complished before the disaster. The
total insurance on the building
amounted to about $14,000.00.
A building committee was ap-
pointed at board meeting held the
day after the fire. This committee
will work on plans for the immediate
construction of new building. Next
Sunday the congregation of the
Church of Christ will meet at the
Presbyterian Church in the afternoon,
while on Thursday afternoon the
classes will meet in the Methodist
Church parlors. Suitable temporary
quarters will be taken over in the
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