Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1909 — CIGARETTE BOYS START A FIRE [ARTICLE]

CIGARETTE BOYS START A FIRE

Monday Afternoon That Was Extinguished With Difficolty SEVERAL BUILDINGS ON FIRE When the Fire Department Arrived On the Scene—Blaze Extinguished After Frank King's Barn Was Destroyed and Several Other Barns, Outbuildings and Dwellings More or Less Damaged. „ which it is supposed two boys living in the north part of town had carelessly thrown in the hay that littered the floor of Frank King’s barn on Elm street, fire destroyed almost 1 S9OO worth of property Monday afternoon while the King family were absent from home. The flames had eaten their way into the dry hay that filled the mow before discovered, and when the alarm was turned in the building was all ablaze. Kresler’s bus team was substituted for the fire team, which w’as hauling coal from the Monon yards and the fire company went out of the engine house in excellent time. Three lines, 1,450 feet of hose, were brought into play but flames spread rapidly and in less than five minutes ten buildings, including the neighboring residences, were in flames. The air was filled with burning bits of hay and shingles w’hich threatened the entire block and set fire to the reesidence of D. E. Grow almost 300 feet away, and for a radius of 150 feet the ground was literally % covered with debris. Two \vood houses belonging to E. L. Hollingsworth were destroyed and the mow of a barn on the Blankenship property was also burned. An old shed across the alley, the property of Mr. King, was badly scorched. Mr. King’s barn was covered with $l5O insurance, SIOO on the barn arid SSO on the contents, which is about one-third of the actual loss. He lost fifteen sets of harness, leathe halters, three bushels of clover seed, threp tons of timothy hay, two winter lap robes and a small lot of corn. There was no Insurance on the Blankenship property but the loss will not exceed SSO. The officers will begin at once an investigation with a view to punishing the guilty boys, it is said.