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EXPLOSION SUNDAY NIGHTWRECKS THREE BUILDINGSThe Boston, Sheerer’s Hardware and Willard Alexander’s Clothing Store in Ruins.PROPERTY LOSS $100,000Dr. Vanderveer, Dr. Miller, J. A. Newman and M. B. Daugherty Lose Everything.Frcm Monday's Cedar Falls DailyRecord.List of Losses.Harry McNally ......... §16,000.Mary McNally. Christie.......$6,000.Wilt Carpenter.......-........$6,000.Betoison Bros. ............$35,000.George Sheerer..............$10,000.'Willard A lex an dor........$20, COO.Dr. Vanderveer. ..........$2,500.Dr. C. B. Miller...............$1,500.J. B. Newman..............,.$1,500.C. S. Cummins........ $100.M. B. Dougherty................$100,C. M. Wyth ................$250-Total. ► ...........98.950The people of Cedar Falls were startled at 10:10 o'clock Sunday night by a terrific explosion. Many jumped from their beds* and rushed to doors or. open windows in a vain effort to locate ! the difficulty. In an instant the cause of the trouble was apparent Three brick business houses at the corner of Main and Third were in ruins. Fire broke out in an instant and the vigorous clanging of the fire bell quickly, brought the several vol*1 unteer fire companies to the scene of. the conflagration. Aroused at the terrific sound of the explosion people .from.all parts of the city rushed wildly to the scene.Explosiun was Terrific;/ There is no question but what the explosion occurred in the hardware store formerly owned by Boehmler ■ brothers hut recently purchased by George Sheerer. When-the explosion occurred hriek and other debri3 was hurled , with great force across the street, smashing tho largo windows in L«r3°n’s 8^°P and knocking great hole? in the jarge plate glass at the Hjeber drug itore, Window lights filpng UiMt sidu of the street were brokeri Tor a considprable distance evidently by dying debris rather than , from coTitviesion, The three buildings invovled in the wreckage collapsed as if they had been made of tinder and it would be difficult to conceive of a more complete wreck. Of the Carpenter building only the front ia standing and that ia liable to tople Over at any time and o£ the McNally-building the eorner on,y tJlut p?r*tion of It remflhifici fbat wae occupied liy tha Pit tor son barber Bhop fl™ the cloak room of ’ tiie Boston store. The building between these owned by Mrs. Christie was a total wreck. Jn a common heap lies the contents of three of the largest stores in the city, the Boston dry goods' store owned by Bennison Bros., the hardware stock owned by George Sheerer and the clothing establishment of Willard Alexander. Over all this merchandise and mixed up with it vj brick, plastering arid the like tend the whole TOBB9'iB charred by fir'd and soaked with water. The desolation ie completeBuildings irt the Wreck,The building on the corner was a handsome twu atory pressed brick structure with basement., owned by Harry McNally. The ground floor was occupied by Dennison Bros, with the Boston, a general dry goods os tablishment, complete in every detail. Tn the rear of this was the barber shop of P. J. Peterson. Up stain? in this building were the offices of Dr. £, H. Miller, dentist, and Dr. F. L. Vanderveer, and tn the rear was the cloak room of the Boston. The fixtures in th3 barbershop were saved. To the north of this was the substantial two atory brick structure owned by Mrs. Ralph Christie. -This wae occupied below by the Sheerer hardware store and above by J. il. Newman’s law office, thu law office of M. S. Dougherty and the insura office of C. S. Cumminp. , Tho next building in the wreck was owned by William Carpentor, It was a two story, brick structure and was occupied by Willard Alexander, clothiers. The upstairs was vacant. The building just north of tin* separated by a substantial fire wall with iron doors wab damaged considerably. This was occupied down stairs by tho Wyth Racket store and tho upatnira. was occupied by T. H. Kirk and, mily. Chris. Ulrich also had roomson this fioor. Their household goods were coosiderabely damaged by smoke but all of tho occupants made theic eBcaps, They received the full force of the awful concussion and lost no time in making their exit* down the hack stairs. Matt Wyth's Racket store was damaged about $200. The large pJata glass in this building was broken into little bits. Several doors to the north in the Gilkey building occupied by Santee brothers a large plate glass was broken. One of the surprising features of the alfair was that not a window in the Dayton block just aeia33 Third street and occupied by the Robinson Dry Goods company, was broken although brick and the like were hurled upon the pave ment against it In the Graham store and In the Oxford cafe the concussion disarranged things considerably but did no particular damage.Hard Fight to Save Livery Barn.One of the hardest fights of the evening was to save the Smith livery barn just across the alley to the rear of the burning buildings. All of the horses and buggies were taken from the barn and nothing but an absence of wind saved the property. A small hosts was kept playing upon the side of the barn and men were stationed upon the roof, Several times the flames came dangerously near thestructure but eaeh time were beaten back.Several Narrow Escapes. d moment before the explosionStanley Cunning and Jamas Patterson finished a friendly visit just in front of the Boston store and each hadgotten only a few rods from thebuilding when the explosion occurred. Liana Juhi was passing along Third street just opposite the Boston. Sitting in front of Snider Berry's giocory was. Wm, Kinney, Harvey Sheerer and tonie other friends. Standing at the window over Larsen’s harness abep across the Btreet to the east was James Santee. Glass flew all about him before.he.had time to get frightened. Mr. Gerkeo and Joe Meyers were talking in front of the Gerken hardware store when the explosion occurred, James Bryant had just passed the Boatcn store its entire length when be was dazed by the concuRBion, All of theae people make similar etatements as to what happened, First was the explosion. Then the tumbling in a promiscuous heap of the buildings and this seemed to have bean followed by still another explosion. Tha air was filled with duat and ■moke in an instant. No fire was visible when the collapse first occurred but in a minute or two the flamea fcbot heavenward illuminating the Sky 94 Wet the fire waseasily aeen for ten milea.Thb only diacrepebdy ifl the report feiVbft by these eye witheHabB Watt the time intervening between the explosion *hd the breaking out of the fire. Th-pro ie no doubt that the fire was there when the explosion occurred butthevapt volume of debria completely emothered it for a time. Fire Chief Hughes waa on the ground before the flames had manifested themseivesi.Cauao of the Explosion.It will never be known just what caused the explosion. Mr. Sheerer did not have over 25 pounds of dynamite in the store and this waa in tb«ie different ^ places. Mr. and MrB. Sheerer were in the 3tore a little before eight o’clock. Mr. Alexander was in the clothing store about eight o’clock and a short time before that Mr. Webb was in the Boston. Some hold to the idea that a leaky gas jet or a fractured gas pipo wob responsible for the explosion but if this had been true it would seem that some of tho parties who visited tho buildings a couple of hours before would have discovered it. It will probably never be known just what explosive did the mischief. That it was a powerful blaBt was plainly in cvidenco when tho threo brick structures and thoir contents were dumped into the basement in a^jiity.Tho Insurance CarriedThe list of- insuranace carried ia as follow*:Harry McNally.Germania .... .$1500Concordia .......................$1000Cummins Agency ...... $1500Other, companies................$1500Total.......... 5,500Willard ■ Alexander..Germania.....................$1000Murray Agency .......* • • $2000Cummins Agency .....§10500Iowa State ............1505Total............ 15,000J, B. Newman.Cummins Agency........... $800Dr, C, B. Miller.Iowa State ...... 55°Will Carpenter;Home New Fork ........,$3500.Sam Carpenter. ,I Home New York ...........?2u00.George Sheerer.Commercial CJnion, Milwaukee 1.000Northwestern Nat........... 1.000Springfield........ 1.000Orient Hartford Conn. ......Continental New- York....... 1,000Palatine London.......... 1,000Total..................$5.Boston Store. Northwestern Nat., Milwaukee. 1,500 Commercial Union, London.... 2,000Policy unknown...... 1,000Hartford, Hartford, Conn 1,000Phoenix, Hartford, Conn...... 1,000Northern, New York....... l.OWPennsylvania, Philadelphia.... 1,000Fire Association........ LOGONorthwestern Under writers,Milwaukee..............1,000Liverpool......... 2.000Philadelphia............ 2,000Aetna ....................New Hampshire............. 2;00(JTowa State, Keokuk....... 1,500Commercial Union......... 2,000Total.................$22,000Dr. Vanderveer........ 1500Mary McNally Christie.......3,000SWANS GUARDED THE BODY.Birds Seemed to Be Guided by Soma Strange Instinct.Two stately swans and half a dozen brill i ant-plum aged ducks circled and circled about a wooden box that float* ed on llie lake In Central park the other afternoon, says the New York World. ‘ Believing some kindly person had put food in the box for the bird3, the crowds that were put In rowl’Ots did not disturb tbs graceful water fowl. For hours the box drifted about, with the currents pf the lake, always accompanied by Its escort o£ birds, Then Thomas Donahue, who baa charge of the park water fowl, observed the strange actions of hiB pets, and got a rowboat. Donahue overtook the box 20 feet from shore on that part of the lake opposite West Seventy-seventh street, He was horrified to find in it tho body of a baby about one week old. Tho body was taken to the Arsenal Police station in the park, where Lieut, McGirr said h« believed the child had been dead two days. It is a myatery to the police how the box floated on the lake twa days without any one discovering Its contents. Donahue says he had missed several of his swans and ducks during that period, and he believe* the birds remained with theQueer Smoke*, 1Tobacco,” said a tobacconist, Ie fohe of many herbs that are smoked. In the orient, for Instance, bhang, or canhabls, a drug that gives on$ the desire to caress people's feet, goes Into loads of pi pea. Some savages smoke the leaves of the wild potato and the Wild tomato. These bitter leaves are narcotic. They throw you Into ll stupor. Pursued In, though, they bring on Insanity, Some of the Swiss guides smoke ‘mountain tobacco,’ a weed that grows only at-great heights. This produces an intoxication akin to alcohol. Our Indiana, when hard up, smoko holly and sumach leaves, and the silvery leaves of ‘Indian tobacco,’ which every boy has chewed.”The Wild Call.Most of our song birds have throe notes expressive of love, alarm and fellowship, Tho latter calls seems to keep them in touch with one anothor. I might perhaps add to this list tho scream of distress which most birds utter when caught by a cat or a hawk —tho voice of uncontrolled terror and pain which ia nearly .llio same In all spec lea—dissonant and piercing. Tho other notes and calls are characters* tie, but this last Is tho simple screech of common terrified nature.—-Country Lifo.One half our people are using our Maltese Cross pure olive oil and Maltese Cross pure spices., the other lutlf arc going to as soon as they need more. Sold by C. A. Wise Sons Co.t colic, dioiom anaChamberlain s jji/uriioe.a ucmejiy.KctcC fails. Buy it now. It wW Have life.
Newspaper Details
Cedar Falls Globe
Cedar Falls, Iowa, US
Thu, Aug 29, 1907
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Waterloo P.
IA, USA 02 Nov 2024
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