Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1916 — K. OF P. BUILDING DAMAGED BY FIRE [ARTICLE]

K. OF P. BUILDING DAMAGED BY FIRE

Bever & Eigelsbach Bakery Suffered Greatest Damage. FIRE WAS HARD TO' REACH As It was Between Ceiling and Floor and Is Supposed to Have Been Caused From Electric Light Wires. —Fire Company Did Fine Work in Extinguishing Flames.

What promised to be one of the most disastrous fires that ever occurred in Rensselaer broke out in the K. of P. building, on the corner of Washington and Front streets, at about 12 o’clock Thursday night. In fact the court house clock struck 12 a few seconds after the whistle sounded. When discovered smoke was pouring out in volumes from almost all over the building and this grew in intensity until it looked as if it would be impossible to save the interior of the structure.

The fire company was soon on the scene, however, but found considerable difficulty in locating the fire. It was finally found to be in between the ceiling above the first floor and the floor of the armory, and is supposed to have been caused from the electric light wires between the floor and ceiling, and in less than an hour’s time was completely extinguished. The thick flooring above and the steel ceiling below held the flames between the floors, and it had no chance to break through before the huge volumes of water poured in between the joists, after holes had been cut through to reach it, extinguished the fire.

An immense amount of smoke was made by the fire and the building was completely choked with it, also causing difficulty in entering it to fight the fire.

The Bcver & Eigelsbach bakery, in the rear of which most of the fighting.of the flames was done, suffered the greatest damage, their fixtures and gtock being practically ruined by smoke and water. . They carried SI,OOO insurance, which will nearly cover their loss. The plate glass front of their place was knocked in to enable the firemen to enter. They were the only tenants to suffer much financial loss.

The building, a three-story and basement brick structure erected in 1902, is owned by John Shaffer of Plymouth, and the lower floor is occupied by the postoffice. Princess theatre and Fred Phillips’s music store, and the Bever & Eigelsbach bakery. The second floor is occupied by the local militia company as hn armory, and the K. of P. and Masonic lodges occupy the third floor. Except for smoke ~and water, none of the tenants suffered damage except Bever & Eigelsbach, the Phillip’s stock of pianos, victrolas, records and office furniture having been removed before water was poured on the floor above.

The damage to the building proper will perhaps reach 31,000 or more. No damage except from smoke was done to the postoffice interior, and the Princess theatre suffered practically no loss except to wiring and the ceilings. With the great volumes of smoke pouring from the building at the start it looked as though it was doomed, and but for the energetic work of the firemen in pushing through the dense smoke and locating the fife before it had broken through the floors to any great extent, it would have been a very ugly fire indeed and would possibly have wiped out a good share of the business section of the city. The supports of the* second floor are very heavy cross beams Bxl2 inches in size, and several feet apart. The fire was in between these heavy timbers which run the full width of the building. The ■ second floor flats over the ■Warner Bros, store immediately on the east, are occupied by Johif Horiton and wife and Devere Zea and wife. The former were not in their ; rooms, but Zea and wife were in i bed asleep, and were taken out of . the front window on a ladder, c3n- . siderably scared but none the worse for their experience.