Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1909 — SMOKING HAMS CAUSE A FIRE. [ARTICLE]

SMOKING HAMS CAUSE A FIRE.

Fire caused from smoking meat threatened two homes with destruction and burned to the ground the smoke house belonging to the residence occupied by Harry Shlrrey, night operator at the Monon station, in the northeast part of town, Thursday afternoon. Mrs. Shirrey was curing the meat of two hogs they had recently butchered and had made a fire of cobs apd chips in a bucket and barrel that stood in the smoke house. About 2:30 in the afternoon she threw water on the fire which she thought extinguished it and left for up town to dp some shopping. Mr. Shlrrey was asleep in the house at the time the fire broke out and it wps not until after it had gained considerable headway that he discovered it. The alarm was sent in from several places and consequently there occurred a mixup in fire-plug numbers which delayed the fire company a short time. When they reached the scene, the flames had reached the side and roof of the Shlrrey home, which stands within 15 feet of the smoke house, but the prompt work of Chief Montgomery and his men reduced this danger to a minimum and the loss on the house will not exceed S2O. The suioke house and contents, consisting of the two hogs, washing machine, a gasoline stove, etc., were destroyed and the loss will total aleast $l5O.