Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1898 — Club House On Fire. [ARTICLE]

Club House On Fire.

The Rensselaer club house, a small building located close to the Monon’s bridge over the Kankakee river, had a narrow escape from destruction by fire, yesterday. C. B. Steward had occasion to go to Thayer that day, and went on the 9:55 a. m. train. He had to go to Shelby and walk hack. When he got back to the river he found roof of the club house on fire and the several men who were near were standing around enjoying the spectacle. Mr. Steward went to work to sulxlue the fire and succeeded in getting a number of the men to help him, and by the use of buckets of water brought from the adjacent river the fire was finally extinguished, after about a third of the roof was burned. The building was erected by Rensselaer parties quite a number of years ago, and was vacent at the time, though it "is usually used as a hotel during the fishing season. Mr. Steward supposes that the fire was started by a spark from the engine of the train he went.up on.