Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 136, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1911 — William Whited Family Routed by Morning Blaze. [ARTICLE]

William Whited Family Routed by Morning Blaze.

At about 8 o’clock this Friday morning Mrs. Van Wood discovered toe roof of the property occupied by William Whited to be on fire and an alarm was turned in. The property belongs to James Pas son and its situated on Scott street. Just north of John Duvall’s and south of Van Wood’s. The fire team in charge of Marshall Mustard and Teamster Zea was over north of the railroad, where they had gone to get a plank to repair the bridge with. It took Ahem several minutes to reach the engine house and the horses were almost exhausted before the run for the fire was started. The flames were Issuing from the entire roof when the company arrived. All the household goods had been removed and a small lawn hose was being used with which to fight the flames. The fire was mainly in the attic but also in the side walls and while it was checked in a short time it was some little time longer before it was entirely stifled. The roof was almost entirely burned off, the rafters charred and the ceiling of the second story burned through and torn out in fighting the fire. The damage will probably be in the neighborhood of S2OO. Although the fire team had gone to a remote part of the city only on an errand, the fact that the fire occurred while it was absent illustrates the necessity of keeping the team near .the engine house. Had ten or fifteen mfhutes been saved it is probable that damage in the sum of SIOO or more could have been averted. Mr. Whited has been in Wheatfleld all week and Mrs. Whited was at home with the three children. She used a gasoline stove frir cooking and there was no heating stove used for a long time. This makes the source of the fire a complete mystery, as it apparently started in the attic. Mr. Whited and family moved here only a few weeks ago from Wheatfleld, where, he had been engaged in the merchantile business. Mrs. Whited is a sister of Tom Callahan, of Newland. "