Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1908 — GOODLAND SCHOOL HOUSE BURNS [ARTICLE]

GOODLAND SCHOOL HOUSE BURNS

Good Brick Structure Erected About Nine Yean Ago Is Consumed ’ By Fin. The Good land schoolhouse erected about nine years ago was burned to the ground Tues. evening. The fire originated in the basement. Two of the teachers were in one of the up stairs rooms at about 5:30 o’clock when they discovered smoke issuing thru crevices of the wall. Investigation proved that the fire was in the basement, and that it had made great 'headway. Presumably it had caught fire from au explosion of chemicals. The marshal of the town is being serverely criticised fdr his attitude in not permitting any one to enter the bnilding in an effort to save contents of the building. The interior of the building had been provided with waterworks, and hose had been placed therein with a view to fire fighting but the marshal refused to permit any one to enter the bnilding, and nothing was saved except about $l5O worth of laboratory apparatus. Four pianos, two organs, toe school library and all the school furniture was burned. The building was erected about 9 or 10 years sago, end was a modern brick structure. The total loss is estimated at about $16,000, and the insurance is SIO,OOO. School will be reopened nett Monday in the vacant store rooms abont the town, there being several of these, occasioned by the recent bank failure.