Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1905 — A BADFIRE SUNDAY [ARTICLE]

A BADFIRE SUNDAY

Duvall’s Livery Barn Was Nearly Destroyed. Bicknells’ Pool Room and Mat Worden’s Hamess Shop Also Burned. The most destructive fire Rensselaer baa had for a longtime, occur ed Sunday. It was disco ver edabou 10:30 a. m., in the rear wall of a pool-room on South Van Rens seiaer street and next door soutt of Cooaey K-Jluer's saloon. The tire covered net more than a square yard or two when first discovered, nd a few nrnu'es persistent work with buckets, would probably put itjout: and some start was made in toat direction. The fire engine house being only a few doors away, the firs 1 hose osrt whs soon there and th* bucket work stopped io give the bose a chance. Bit when tbe hydrant water was turned into the ice-cold hose, the latter appears to have been vtry fros’y inside, ano this frest washed to the front end of the hosi and formed a larg* quantity of slush wnich preven ed tue flow of the wa er until the nczzels were taken off, and tbe slush was forced out. This happening to both nozzles. Timwas also lost because the hydrant at the corner of Hirrison street was clegged with frost, and was turned on with great d fflculty. By the time the water whs well play ing the fire had got into the attic and spreading over the room occupied by Mat Worden’s harness shop, it scon cammunioat ed to the hi y in ths loft of Duvall’s Brother.,’ livery stable. From that time on every effort to save tue building was useless. There weie five tons of hay and one of straw in the loft, and this was s ion burning all over its entire su-face The firemen fought desperately and bad four streams playing on different parts of the burning buildings. They put out the fires in tbe prol room and harness shop building before half of it bad bsen burned, and also prevented the Kellner saloon on the ncr h from taking fire. At the livery b«ra there is a long single story addition at the rear containing all the hcrae stalls these were saved with practically no damage at all. Tbe main building though not all burned is pra ctically a total a total loss as it v ill be worth neaily al the lumb-r there is in it to tear it down. The roof is entirely and the remains of the roof and upper fl or have f illen to the lower floor. Most of the on'er wa'l i have also f illen in or out. ! The cont nts of tbe pool room i being manily three heavy pool thb’es, could not bs re»cued. They still stand stemingly intact, the ugh no doubt considcably damaged. This pol room has hem changing hands frequent y rs late, Jhe Bicknell Brothers f j I r?ck having just came in’o itp issetsioo. { Ti e st< ck and tools io the Wo’d ! e i barn! S 3 shop were all s ived- S | a'so were all the buggies And I harness too's etc’ in the livery I stable ex r?pt one cutter and G . A ! " r ckfnden j gging cart which he I bought at th 3 McCoy bankrupt i sile, these being up f-taiis and for. g ttan. The horses were of ooursall saved. D.jring the fire Ed Duyall one cf »he propiretors got a bad"T«il He w .p on a ladder holding a ncz z-1 in a fr nt up stairs window of tbe stable, when tbe fl >or went down and this sent such an enormous and suffocating volume of emnke out cf the window that all

•n the ladder were forced off and Ed fell and butt his hip so badly that he is now confined to his t> ct Hie shculder also is pretty badly bruised. Christie Vick fell also and. uurt hie headed oivtrdiy that be dso is confined to hia bed, I’he origin of the fire ia generally* ittributed to a bucket of a*hee left next to the wall where the fire was first noticed. Others think a not ttove stood too n< ar the wall in the ree-rroom of tbe pool room. The building where the pool room and harness shop was belong’d co A. Leopold a d hie 10-a no estimated at SI,OOO to $1,200 and which wse partly c jvered by S4OC insurance. The livery barn bslorged to the Duvalls. The insurance ratee were h'gb and they bad declined to carry insurance and therefor their 1 ss is total They are not ready to estimate their loss very closely but eay they had rather by S2OOC rhe fire had not happened Tbey are the chief 1 isera by tbe fire, and the loss is s serious one to them.. Especially as the Lost hea Hv at the bank failure, last spring. However tbey are young men of j uab and energy and will not alia*' tms to discourage them. Tney have their outfits and horses in the Fish r feed barn at present, but will have the uuinjurstable portion of their own buiuiing ready for the horses in a day or two.