The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-02-02
Fire Damaged
Three Build
ings Monday
Belmont Cafe Fixtures
Destroyed In Stubborn
Conflagration
FOUGHT FIRE II HOURS
Impenetrable Smoke
Added To Difficulties
Of Department

Firemen were busily engaged for
twelve hours Monday fighting a
stubborn fire which was discover
ed in the Belmont Hotel and Cafe
at four o'clock that morning. Two
other business places, the Corner
Meat Market and the O'Gara Beau
ty Parlor, were threatened, how
ever, losses to these two were con-
fined to smoke and water damage
Damaged buildings are the prop
erty Of Jos. Dirnberger and his
loss will represent a tidy sum. Mr..
Dirnberger carried $4,000 insur-
ance on the buildings, and while
he valued the fixtures Of the res
taurant at $4,000, he carried only
$1,000 insurance on them. About
three months ago he dropped $2500
on the fixtures. The fixtures and
building of the Belmont Hotel and
Cafe were leased and rented to Ed
Steege last May 1, 1888. Estimat-
ed losses will probably exceed
$4,000. Mr.. Steege suffered an al
though there will be some salvage.
Bob Gordon, an employee Of the
Belmont, awoke and discovered
smoke in the building. He immed-
lately notified other employees and
guests, and made his exit through
the upper side door to the roof of
Annex, from where he
jumped to the ground, and rushed
to turn in the alarm. Owing to the
dense smoke it was impossible to
descend the stairways and the guests
and employees were forced to make
their exit to the roof Of the Dirn-
berger Annex, from where they
were removed by ladder when the
firemen arrived.
Evidently the fire started in the
basement of the building, although
its origin is unknown. Flames were
confined to the basement during
the twelve hours Of fire fighting
with the exception Of when it
caught in the stairway and broke
through the floor. The joists un-
derneath the floor burned away and
late in mid-afternoon the floor set
tied into the basement. Firemen
had been working underneath the
floor during the day, and their
heroic efforts were rewarded in con-
filming the fire to the first floor of
the building. The upper story of
the hotel was damaged only by
smoke.
Fire from the Belmont entered
the O'Gara Beauty Parlor building
through a sewer pipe and started
a blaze in the roof. This was
quickly extinguished, but not with
out considerable damage to the
building and the contents. Mrs.
Frank OGara, owner of the beauty
shop, removed all paraphernalia
and is now located in the rear
rooms Of the Paul Telling Barber
Shop.
H. G. Vennewitz, proprietor of
the Corner Meat Market, suffered
considerable loss through smoke
and water. He was able to open
for business in the building the
next morning.
Impenetrable smoke and lack of
smoke masks made it impossible to
locate the seat Of the fire and sew
eral thickness Of flooring added to
the difficulties Of fighting the fire.
Firemen did some excellent work
in keeping the fire confined to the
basement, and they are to be COM
mended for saving the building.
A greater loss could have been ex-
pected from a fire of this nature.
Fighting a fire from four o'clock
in the morning to four o'clock in
the afternoon is no easy task.
After the interior Of the building
dries out, Mr.. Dirnberger will start
the building preparatory
to reopening the Belmont.