Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1912 — RECORD FOR WORK [ARTICLE]

RECORD FOR WORK

Freighthouse Razed by Fire Replaced Over Sunday. ..' ■ . ~ -■ ■ , Town Joins In an Effort to Repair Damage Done to Depot In Order to Prevent Interference With Business. Council Bluffs, la. —Some strenuous construction work was done here when a freighthouse, destroyed by fire, was rebuilt almost over night. At 6:45 o’clock on a Saturday evening the freighthouse of the Chicago and Northwestern railway was destroyed by fire. The building, 36 by 310 feet, included the office, which was two stories high. The problem presented was how to provide freighthouse facilities lor the opening of business on Monday morning. It was decided to solve the prolilem by putting up a new building. The telegraph and telephone were pressed Into instant, service. Necessary workmen and materials were ordered from a dozen points. Arrangements were made with a local lumberyard to deliver material on Sunday morning at seven o’clSck. At the same time everybody was busy getting near-by material concentrated and" mustering the different forces. Men were picked up as far east as Cedar Rapids and as far west as Fremont, Neb. On Sunday morning at Six o’clock a special train had arrived at Council Bluffs from Boone with men and material, and other forces had arrived on different passenger trains, bo that about eighty mechanics and artisans were on hand at seven o’clock. Twenty men arrived from the west at eleven o’clock. Then the work was under way in earnest. It was found that the transfer platforms and the platform In front of the old building had not been destroyed by thq. fire, so it was decided to erect a temporary building directly upon tiie floor of the larger transfer platform. The frame was up and partly sheathed at 11:30 a. m. At five

o'clock in the afternoon the building was entirely inclosed and the roof was nearing completion. By Monday morning the building was entirely finished, 26 feet wide and 120 feet long. The work was continued till the building was 175 feet long over alt Platforms were built, but the building built on Sunday was entirely finished and ready for business by Monday morning.