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A big fire swept the village of St. Nazianz last Friday afternoon, destroy ed thirteen buildings, a hardware store, grist mill, photograph gallery, the St. Nazianz State Bank, building, saloon, ice house, barn, two sheds, ice cream parlor, bakery and confectionery and fire residences. The loss is estimated at from $30,000 to $50,000, covered by about $15,000 insurance. The fire started in the engine room of the Backhaus grist mill, cause un known. A southeast wind caused it to spread to the adjoining buildings and those on the other side of the street. According to Mr. Backhaus, he and his workmen were in the grist mill, grinding feed, when suddenly flames from the engine room shot through the doorway and the room was quickly filled with smoke and fire. Both men escaped from the building uninjured. A great effort was made by a bucket brigade to confine the flames to the one building but it was soon evident that this was impossible as the fire licked the adjoining buildings and soon they were enveloped in flames. When it was seen that the home bri gade could not cope with the situation, emergency calls were sent to New Hol stein, Kiel, Collins and Manitowoc fire departments. The three villages sent their apparatus and volunteer depart ments. The Kiel fire fighters were the first to arrive and the New Holstein and Collins companies with their hose carts arrived soon after. The Joe Mall man saloon and barn was last to burn. At 7 P. M. the interior of the building was a mass of fire. The fighters worked almost the entire night. Smoke from the conflagration was carried many miles. Five families were made homeless by the fire, the largest being that of Frank Kautzer, who with his wife and six children was driven out on the street when the flames reached across from the St. Nazianz State Bank build ing and burned his house to the ground. It was owned by Aug. Kramer. The other house across the street belonged to Mr. Sukowaty. The Nick Backhaus family was also left without shelter. Ignatz Burkard, his sister and two nieces, lost their home and bakery shop. George Fessler’s photograph gallery and residence burned down and Joseph Malimas s saloon and barn and ice house were destewyrd. When the flames had reduced the Backhaus hardware store, grist mill, garage and engine house to ashes, al most the entire east side of the street was on fire, but instead of spreading to the residence of John Koenig and the general store, operated by W. ©. Gron, adjoining the burning buildings, the flames leaped clear across the two frame buildings nearest the fire, jump ed across the street to the north and set fire the stone house, saloon and barn owned by Joseph Mallman. From there the fire spread to the Joseph Hildebrand ice cream parlor and the ice house of the saloon and quickly con sumed them. The residence building adjoining the ice cream parlor to the east, was saved by the Kiel fire de partment. Asked as to the cause of the fire, Mr. Backhaus said that he did not know, “I was working in the grist mill when fire suddenly started in the engine room,’’ he said, ‘I have no idea what caused the fire. It is a mystery to me. There was no explosion.” The village was visited by thousands of people from Manitowoc and Sheboy gan counties Friday afternoon. Sym pathy for the residents of the quaint old town was expressed on every side.
Newspaper Details
Manitowoc Pilot
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, US
Thu, Apr 11, 1918
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Dennis M.
USA 16 Apr 2026
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