Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1916 — NIGHT BLAZE HAD START ON FIGHTERS [ARTICLE]

NIGHT BLAZE HAD START ON FIGHTERS

Mrs. Beam’s Millinery Stock Seriously Damaged and Williams-Stock-ton Block Endangered. As Lester Rich was going to his home at about 11:10 Saturday night “he saw flames in the rear of the Wil-liams-Stockton building, one room of which is occupied by Mrs. W. H. Beam’s millinery store. He hurried to the store of J. J. Montgomery, the fire chief, and an alarm was turned in and the department was soon on the job and succeeded in making a successful fight without great ’oss. Defective wiring is thought to be responsible for the blaze; which started in the rear of the large room and was blazing at a lively clip when discoveerd. The heat was so intense that some of the glass windows and doors in the front part of the store were cracked and the paint on the doors blistered. Fire Chief Montgomery and his aides found the fire a rather mean one to fight, owing to the fact that the orom was so filled with smoke. They' took no chances of a spread and used plenty of water and in about a half hour had the fire subdued. Mrs. Beam’s millinery and notions stock suffered materially, all being damaged. She carried S6OO insurance. The damage to the building was only about S3OO. Had the fire gone 15 minutes longer undiscovered the entire block, including the Roth Bros, and Horton buildings, would have been jeopardized. =====