Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1916 — K. OF P. BUILDING DAMAGED BY FIRE [ARTICLE]

K. OF P. BUILDING DAMAGED BY FIRE

Discovered at Midnight and Firemen Work Heroically and Prevent Bad Conflagration. Rensselaer was saved the most destructive fire in its history Thursday night by the effective work of its fire department. At midnight the Knights of Pythias building was discovered on fire and an alarm turned in. The members of the department responded promiptly and soon were at work on the job that meant the saving not only of that 'building but of others' as well.

The fire was discovered by Will Waymire, of the Comer Case. He had closed his' front door and was starting home for the night when he saw smoke issuing from the front of the Bever & Eigelsbach bakery, which occupied one bf the rooms. He ran to the building and then turned in an alarm and spread the information in an effective way to secure aid. ’ Night Officer Critser had been past the corner only about ten minutes before, and others also had passed it without noticing any sign of smoke. Mr. Critser was in Fate’s restaurant and also turned in, an alarm. There was a little delay in getting the fire team started from the barn. One of the horses refused to start until Officer Critser led it from the building. Fire Chief Montgomery was out of town and the direction of the fire fighting fell on Chas. W. Rhoades, who handled it in fine shape. Smoke issued in volumes from the windows in front and on the west side and the fire was discovered to be in the bakery, about half way back, -where it had evidently started from an exposed electric light wire. Sparks from the wire are believed to have fallen on a number of flour sacks that were suspended on a wire line and the rags are thought to have fallen to the floor. A Hole was burned through the floor below and the flames above had followed along the electric light wife and were burning vigorously between the ceiling of the first story and the floor of the second, The smoke was dense andsuffocating and the fight was a hard one but was accomplished in a splendid manner. Within an hour the fire was conquered. The building from top to bottom was flooded but the firemen and a number of volunteers stayed on the job and swept up the water and thus prevented further damageThe inuilding has as tenants the postoffice, the Princess Theatre, Phillips’ music store and the bakery on the main floor, the armory and Henry Vance on the second floor and the Knights of Pythias and the Masons on the third floor. Practically all of Bever & Eigelsbach’s salesroom fixtures and stock were ruined. The Phillips stock was moved to W. J. Wright’s store and was riot damaged, but would have suffered considerably from water if it had not been moved. The Princess Theatre suffered from the water .making it received and the destruction of the electric wire circuit. This, however, was repaired and the theatre cleaned and dried out in time for the show of tonight.

The postoffice received quite a drenching and a number who received mail this meriting found it water stained. The mail and all property in the office was protected as well as possible by the use of mail bags, however, and the damage was npt at all serious.

The damage to the upper floors was slight, amounting only to the water damage, some smoke damage and an occasional broken window light. The building belongs to J. M. Shaffer, of Plymouth. It is not known here what insurance he carried. The damage to the building amounts prfobafoly to only a few hundred dollars. It is said that the electric wiring is defective and that to furnish proper protection in the future it should all be renewed and put in tubes. Bever & Eigelsbach suffered considerable damage. They have only SI,OOO insurance. It will be some time before they can get fixed up ready for business again and this fact constitutes a considerable part of their kiss. During the fire Chas. Rhoades Jr., fainted and fell as a result of being overcome by the smoke. True Woodworth was near him and heard him fall and carried him to the outside, Mrs. J. F. Schmal and little son a member of the fire company, carried him to the barbershop, where he was restored in a little time. The prompt discovery of the fire and the well directed and excellent work of the firemen prevented a very oostiy conflagration ardßenaselaer certainly got off very luckily. Fire Chief Montgomery has often said that fires almost invariably occur when he is away from town, this being the fourth or fifth fire that took advantage of his absence.