South Side Fire of 1897
The Schuyler Citizen
Thursday, March 24, 1897
FIRE FIEND!Rushville Again Alarmed at Midnight.
To Fight Fire Fiend on the South Side.
Dodson's Dry Goods Stock a Complete Wreck.
The Substantial Brick Row Known as Jackson's Block Badly Damaged.
Estimated Damage Between $15,000 and $20,000.
From Saturday's Daily
Rushville has been visited by another disastrous conflagration.
At half past eleven last night Charley Kennedy was passing along the south side of the square and saw flames creeping along the ceiling at the east wall of the room in the Jackson block occupied by E. A. Dodson's dry goods store. He immediately gave the alarm and Joe Johnson, hearing it, promptly rang the fire bell. This gave the general alarm and brought the people half-dazed, from their homes.
Before the bell rang Mr. Hunt, the night attendant at the central station of the Western Illinois Telephone Company, sent alarms to the several residents having phones as rapidly as possible, and was prompt to answer calls sent in by those who had not been alarmed by the fire bell.
The consternation pervading the people as they discovered the locality of the flames was widespread and general, owing to the fact that Rushville people take much pride in the appearance the substantial store buildings surrounding the square give the business center.
The fire company responded promptly to the alarm and inside of twenty minutes after the fire bell tapped a stream of water was shooting into the front entrance of Dodson's store room. But before the fire department could turn on the stream the flames had spread so rapidly among the many articles displayed on lines and side walls, and bursting from the front windows enveloped the entire front, runing [sic] along the awning to the east and west. The flames had been subdues somewhat in front, but this seemed to drive them back, and soon the rear end presented as dangerous appearance as the front. Now came the supreme opportunity to test the capacity of the limited amount of hose provided for the fire department. The remainder of the hose was hasily adjusted to the plug on the southeast corner and there was just enough to get behind the buildings and in this way the flames were confined to their narrow limits, so that the frame buildings in the rear of the south side row were prevented from spreading the fire over the entire block.
Amount of Insurance
The four brick buildings were owned by Ezra Jackson and were insured in several companies, represented by local agents. As near as we can ascertain at this time the two west rooms, occupied by Owen Jackson & Co., boots, shoes and carpets, and Jacob Maurer, grocery, were insured in Springfield for $2,000 and Phoenix for $1,000, represented by John S. Little, and on the two east buildings, occupied by Dodson's dry goods and J. W. Lawler's grocery, there is $1,500 in the Fireman's Fund, represented by P. E. Mann, and $1,250 in the Home, $1,250 in the Royal, represented by Glass & Bottenberg. The damage on the two east buildings is considerable, and it is fully covered by insurance. The loss on the buildings is variously estimated at from $2,000 to $3,000.
The principal loss is on the dry goods stock of E. A. Dodson, estimated value about $8,800. Insured in three companies as follows: Royal, $2,500, and Home of New York, $2,500, Glass & Bottenberg agents; Phoenix of Brooklyn, $2,000, by P. E. Mann; total, $7,000.
Owen Jackson & Co.'s stock damaged in removal, estimated at between $200 and $300, covered by insurance in the Springfield $1,000, and Phoenix companies $500, represented by J. S. Little, and Niagara $1,00, by Glass & Bottenberg.
Jacob Maurer, loss on stock and fixtures about $200, insured in the Queen, by D. H. Glass, for $900.
John W. Lawler's stock and fixtures were damaged by fire, water and removal about $100 worth, insured in two companies represented by D. L. [unreadable word].
The total damage to buildings has been estimated but will be greatest on the room occupied by Dodson, and fully covered by the amount of insurance on the two east buildings.
Bob Burnham's Narrow Escape.
The middle rooms over Dodson's store were occupied by Isaac Jenkins and the front one by Robert Burnham as sleeping room. The latter was in bed, asleep and it was with difficulty that Burnham could be awakened. Walter Williams kicked the door in and rolled Bob out of bed as the flames from below were coming up through the floor in several places. Bob says, "It was a narrow escape."
Isaac Jenkins Gets Flustrated.
Isaac Jenkins says he had just gone to bed after reading his paper and was dozing like when he heard sounds of footsteps in the hallway; then some parties ran down the steps and cried "fire!" He got up and went to the stairway in his night apparel and asked, "Where is the fire?" "Right under you," came a response. He went down, and at the foot of the stairs the whole front burst out with an explosion and leaping flames. He went back to get his trousers off the bed, but the smoke choked him and he reeled, thinking he would have to succumb; he pushed on however to the west window in the room he uses for a kitchen and not being able to hoist it burst it and climbed out on the tin roof over Jackson & Co.'s store where he was exposed to the water from the hose and the chill air in his night clothes, until relieved by one of the attaches in Nell's hardware store raising the window and letting him in. Mr. Jenkins states that he was among the first to discover the fire.
The Clothes Didn't Fit.
It has always been generally understood that women were the only ones who lost their heads at fires, but last night a gentleman livng in the south part of town was suddenly awakened by the noise and din incident to the fire. He sprang excitedly out of bed, grabbed what he thought were his clothes and tried to put them on. But somehow they didn't fit. After tearing them nearly all to pieces in a vain endeavor to get them on he struck a light and discovered that he had been trying to array himself in his wife's union suit. If he had just come up town in that rig-out and joined the fire department he'd have been the center of attraction.
Efficient Water Works a Blessing.
Not a kick against the 2 per cent tax for water works and fire extinguishing appliances can be heard from any one this morning, and a paper is in circulation being generally signed to raise a fund of $300 to purchase more hose so that no delay may be experienced in the future.
"The water works have paid for themselves tonight," was heard on every hand last night, as the moon shown down in pale faces and the fire was under control.
The property holders of the south side are running over with gratitude to those who persisted in pushing the water works and fire extinguishers to a finish before the fire last night, and to the energetic water works committee, Messrs. J. W. Webster, A. H. Clarke and Dr. Amrine, backed by the enterprising businessmen. Everybody feels indebted for the good work done and property saved.
Rushville escaped from the greatest conflagration in its experience by the advantage afforded by the water works. The fine brick row on the south side, though somewhat disfigured in one part, has not been damaged so as to destroy the appearance from the exterior, for which we are all glad.
The "bucket brigade" would not have been "in it" last night, and this morning there would have been cinders and tottering walls instead of a complete block of buildings, had it not been for the water works.
Water Works Capacity.
Superintendent of the Water Works James Lawler is duly proud of the success shown by the engines and telephone service under his management. When the alarm was sounded the water in the stand pipe was within 12 inches of being full. The two streams from the hose lowered the stage about six feet by the time he turned on the pressure. The streams thrown from the hose were 235 gallons per minute. The pump worked at half capacity replenished the stand pipe at the rate of 250 gallons per minute. The capacity of the stand pipe is 115,000 gallons. The total amount of water thrown on the fire last night was 12,000 gallons. The pressure of the stand pipe at 85 feet is not sufficient to throw a stream over the two-story buildings. By this it will be seen how great the advantage of pump pressure. Supt. Lawler is delighted with the experience with the system last night, which is the first real test the new system has had. He was ready with direct pressure and so signaled when he received the signal that the fire was under control.
Mr. Dodson's Experience.
Mr. Dodson had left his store at 8:30 and locked the door, leaving every thing all right. From there he went to the postoffice, thence home, and was in bed fast asleep when his wife awoke him upon hearing the "fire bell." He ran to the square not thinking his place was in danger until he reached the restaurant corner on the northeast approach to the square. The shock he received upon getting a full view of his store room caused him to stagger, and but for timely assistance would have fallen to the pavement. He was taken by friends toward his home, but on the way it was thought best to let him rest at Mrs. E. D. Leach's. A hyperdermic injection was administered by Dr. H. O. Munson, and he recovered sufficiently to be assisted to the store, and thence home. He is about today, but quite exhausted fromt he shock and nervous prostration.
A Fiery Ordeal.
Jacob Maurer has had within a few months some experience with fire. His barn burned, at which time his only son, about four years, playing in the barn when it took fire, hid away in the bin from fright and might have perished but for timely help. Last night "Jake" was on his way in haste to the fire, but when he located the flames, he says, he was "paralyzed" and couldn't run another step.
Cinders.
--In many respects the crowd was well managed and loss averted by removal.
--The door leading into Riefling's barber shop, over Lawler's store, was burned into a charcoal, as was also the stairway.
--Dodson's stock had just been received for the spring trade and consequently was heavier than ordinarily carried, except in December for the holiday trade, when the valuation was placed at $11,000.
--The commercial men who were at Hotel Schuyler last night, said many nice things about the prompt action of the fire department in reaching the conflagration and their heroic efforts in subduing the flames.
--The grocery store of John W. Lawler, on the east corner, and Jacob Maurer, next door west, suffered much damage from smoke, steam, water and broken glass in front. The ceiling for about ten feet back in Lawler's store room is badly charred.
--Numerous people were seen at midnight last night wending their way to the scene of the fire at a Robert J. gait, with buckets thrown over their arms, and one old lady reached the square with a tin dipper, all intending, doubtless, to supplement the efforts of the fire department.
--The cornice and windows up stairs on the buildings as far west as Nell's hardware store were damaged by fire and heat. The great difficulty encountered by the dealers in the row was to prevent the usual custom of carrying the goods out of the buildings. On this occasion the mud and slush would have ruined anything for sale purposes.
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