Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1917 — ELEGANT RESIDENCE DAMAGED BY FIRE [ARTICLE]

ELEGANT RESIDENCE DAMAGED BY FIRE

Morning Fire at* House Owned By Earle Reynolds Subdued After a Long and Hard Fight. At 8:00 this morning the citizens of this city were startled by three long blasts from the city fire whistle announcing a file on Milroy avenue. It proved to be the residence occupied by B. F. Fendig, the di jggist, and owned by Earle Reynolds, who is now in VanCduvcr, Washington. It is thought that the fire started from the sparks from a wood fire ib the range. Mr. Fendig had been r r. the kitchen just before leaving foi his store and had remarked to Mis: Wright, who makes her home in hi family and attends high school here, that she had a pretty hot fire. Miss Wright noticed a roaring noise in the chimney but thought nothing ot it until Mrs. Hans son, her neighbor, came out and informed her that th* house was on fire. Other neighbor; noticed the fire at about the samt time, but there was some confusion and therefore some delay in sending in the alarm. The fire had caught in the roof and wias under very great headway before noticed. Josephine Washburn who was asleep in the room on the third story and directly under the -fire, noticed that tire room was very warm and started down stairs to announce that the house must ibe on fire. —ln the meantime a great many people had gathered and all went to work and succeeded in removn :g all furniture from the first two stories of * the building. Nothing was left in the building except a billiard table and the furniture in the rooms on the third story. The goods were removed in good shape and with little damage. When the fire company ai rived, which was in a remarkably short time after receiving the alar ml, it looked as if it would be impossible to save the building., The whole, roof was ablaze and was being fanned by a very strong south wind. Under the able guidance of Fire Chief Mon jgomery, the company went to work, with the result that practically no fire touched the second or first stories. T-hat we have a most efficient fire company was proven by the splendid w’ork done at this fire. Three lines of hose wore used and the fire was conquered after a hard- fight lasting-over an hour. --jyThe house will, of course, be badly damaged by the water, but the condition in which the building was saved will make it possible to be rc-| paired and placed in the condition it was before the fire for $1,503 or $2,000. The building was worth five or six thousand dolalrs. It is undoubtedly properly insured, ac it is being paid for through w building and loan association at Chalmers. Mrs. Nichols has telegraphed her son, Earle, who with his wife i 3 nosy in the northwest, having left last November for a long tour through western Canada and the United States. While this fire represents a large property loss, had it happened durhig the nights the occupants of th e third story might have been in very great danger. : . ... ” It is probable that Mr. Fendig and family will make, their temporary -hbme with Mrs. Fendig’s mother, Mrs. Kate Watson. Some of the good neighbors have offered to share The hospitality of their homes, all of which represent the' kind of people we have in this city. —"The damaged residence was at one time th? home of Thomas J. McCoy, cashier' and part owner of the illfated McCoy & Co. bank. It was an elegant and expensive home and Mr. Reynolds had spent a considerable amount of money to put it in condition after the damage it received b, being dynamited by some offended McCoy creditor.