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By the prompt and effective efforts of the tire department the flames were : confined to the upper story of Wilson’s ' block, and the stores below suffered no j damage except from t he water, which came through the ceiling in torrents, into Martini’s feed and confectionery store and Lois Casey's millinen store.Mr. Martini was considerably exercised over the use of so much water to dampen the tire, and became wild over j the refusal of the tiremen to put out the tire in a manner prescribed by him. .John wanted to organize a little tire department of his own, but as he in-! tended to drown the fire with wind in-1 stead of water it didn’t work. Ilis | stock was severely damaged by water.I which stood three inches deep in the | rear of his store, but it was the water j that put the fire out.The principal losers were David Wil-] son, owner of the building, Frank Me-i Knight, whose photograph gallery was j entirely destroyed, T. B. Cunningham,, H. J, Tyler and Tillie Yates, a colored | woman, all occupants of the rooms up-i stairs. The greater part of the household goods in these rooms was either burned or so badly damaged by the ! smoke that they are useless. A pecu liar feature of the damage from smoke is that the black and dingy coloring of the smoke seems to be burnt into the articles, and cannot be removed even by scouring. Everything that the suioke touched it blackened permanently. The sufferers from removal of goods and injury from water were John Martini, Miss Lois Casey and the Odd Fellows lodge. When tint tire was threatening to carry everything before it, several members of the lodge rushed into the hall, which is in the second story next to the burned building, and removed much of the furnishings of the hall. This resulted in considerable damage. The heat and smoke also .; penetrated through the brick wall, and .1 gave the east wall of the hall a sooty,-! murkv appearance.At 8:30 o’clock the flames were com j pletely smothered and nothing remain (I ed outside the building to show that ’ | there had been a tire except the running 11 water and the general disorder and confusion always following a tire. Inside the Wilson block upstairs the rear rooms gave sufficient evidence that the flames had been industriously engaged in their work of destruction.Several persons not present while the fire was burning, including one Chicago gentleman who is posted on such matters, have examined the building since the fire and declare that the fire department did wonderfully good work to stay the progress of the fire as tin y I did. Everything points to the conclusion that the preservation of the entire ! row of business blocks was due to the | efficiency and promptness of our fire r company. With very few exceptions s I the citizens are full of praise for the e j good work done by the firemen, and e their appreciation of the efforts of the e j fire boys is shown by freely spoken e i words of approbation, f; The only loser who carried insurance . j was Mr. Wilson, who has 82,500 in the s | Northwestern National, of Milwaukee, J I and the same amount in the New York f j Underwriters’ Agency. He estimates y i his loss at 81,500. Mr. McKnight puts his loss at 81,000, with no insurance. . The loss to the others will reach 81,000 j ; probably, so that the total loss from the e | lire approximates 83,500, with not toexceed 81,500 insurance.
Newspaper Details
Centralia Democrat
Centralia, Illinois, US
Fri, Oct 14, 1887
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 21 Aug 2024
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