Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1908 — Close Call for Monnett Home. [ARTICLE]

Close Call for Monnett Home.

The Monnett Children’s had a close call from destruction this Friday morning, sparks from a defective flue having caught fire to timbers above the second story. The fire was discovered by the matron, who found that smoke was filling the up-stalrs rooms, and she went at once to the residence of Fred Phillipß, across the street, and turned in an alarm. The fire company responded promptly and soon had the smouldering fire under control. Examination proved that the flue was in bad shape, and It will have to be partly tom out and rebuilt. It Is very fortunate that it was discovered when It was, as a very strong wind was blowing and with much of a start It would have been almost impossible to have saved it from destruction, and had it happened at night it woufd almost certainly have resulted In considerable loss of life, as the Bleeping rooms of the little ones are in the two up stairs rooms directly below where the Are was smouldering. These are the only two rooms that are furnished In the second story of the house and all the thlngß In them were more or less damaged by the water.