The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1935-07-18
Fire Over
Penney Go.
SaturdayEve
Started in Apartment of Mr.
and Mrs. Russell Erick-
Origin Unknown
ALARM CALLED AT 9: 80
Damage to Stock and Build
ing Considerable Car
ried Insurance

Saturday night at about $50 the
siren sounded the alarm for a fire
which originated In the apartment
Of Mr.. and Mrs. Russell Erickson,
over the J. c. Penney store. The
cause Of the fire Is unknown but
1t il thought 1t started in the floor
near the kitchen.
The fire had gained considerable
headway before the alarm was
sounded, and the nature Of 1t made
1t rather a stubborn one for the
department to fight The fire, as
stated, started near the kitchen,
and when the department arrived,
had burned a cupboard, partition
and hole in the floor, the latter
being burned through to the tin
ceiling in the Penney. Store. It
was difficult to- fight the fire as
the door leading into the hallway,
when opened, shut off the entrance
into the kitchen, and it was nee
essary to tear it off before water
could be thrown onto the flames.
The firemen were forced to lie
on the floor, owing to the smoke
and the flames which enveloped
the entire room. While lying on
the floor gas stove or can ex-
ploded within three feet of the
firemen, and this also added to
the stubborness Of the fire, as 1t
added impetus to the conflagra-
ton. The firemen escaped injury
because they were sheltered by a
partition.
The fire extended from the
doorway Of the kitchen to the rear
end Of the building and the flames
shot out Of the skylight. Three
hose lines were used and the fire
was brought under control after
about fifteen minutes of work.
Before the fire was completely ex-
tinguished it had taken about one
hour.
The alarm was turned in by act
ing Chief Of Police Jos. Kusba.
At the same time the alarm was
turned in the fire was discovered
by Mrs. Harrison, who Is engaged
as clerk at the Penney Store. She
had gone upstairs to get some mer-
chandise and through the glass
partition saw the flames. She inn
mediately notified Mr.. Hoaglund,
manager, who went to the front Of
the store and announced to the
customers that there was fire and
to leave in orderly manner, which
they did.
Mr.. and Mrs. Erickson suffered
a severe loss to kitchen utensils,
furniture and clothing. The furni-
ture in the front room was dam
aged by water and smoke. Mr.. and
Mrs. Erickson had no insurance on
their property.
The fire in the building, the pro
perry of Thos. Sullivan, was con-
fined mostly to the kitchen in the
Erickson apartment, although the
ceiling and side walls in the PEN
new store room were badly scorch-
ed. We have been unable to learn
the amount of damage, however, 1t
was considerable. Mr.. Sullivan
carried insurance on the building.
Repair work will be started as soon
as possible.
. Some of the merchandise Of the
]. C. Penney Co., in the storeroom
was burned, much Of it suffered
water and smoke damage. In the
store below the water poured
through onto the stock, with tNe
result that practically all of II,
with the exception Of that in the
rear part ofNthe building, suffered
water DAMAGE The asPenney Co.
carries the larger part sof its own
insurance.
On Sunday all damaged stock
was moved from the Penney store
to the Pendergast building on
Third Street, where it has been
CONTINUED on Page s, Col. 81