North Side Fire of 1924
The Rushville Times
Thursday, January 10, 1924
RUSHVILLE SUFFERS GREATEST FIRE CALAMITYFOUR YOUNG MEN KILLED BY FALLING WALL WHEN FIVE NORTH SIDE BUSINESS HOUSES ARE DESTROYED BY FIRE SATURDAY NIGHT
HYDRANTS AND HOSE FREEZING, HINDER FIREMEN
BEARDSTOWN AND ASTORIA SEND AID AS RUSHVILLE'S FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO COMBAT THE PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES.
Rushville suffered the most distressing calamity in its history Saturday night, when four lives were lost to a fire which destroyed five business houses on the north side of the public square.
Charred and blackened almost beyond recognition, the bodies of the four young men were removed from the debris of the George T. Purcell store, Sunday morning, where they met their death the night before, when a falling wall crushed in the roof and killed all four instantly.
The victims of the fire could only be recognized by particles of clothing or distinguishing objects that were found with their bodies.YOUNG MEN KILLED WERE:
Elmo Byrns, 15, son of L. H. Byrns, Schuyler county circuit clerk, student in. Rushville high school.
John Stover, 21, unmarried, mechanic in Hinner's garage.
Raymond Briggs, 21, Rushville, leaves wife and baby and parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Briggs.
Maurice McFeeters, 28, unmarried, son of William McFeeters, three miles west of Rushville.
The four young men killed, in company with others had entered the clothing store to carry out goods. There was no sign of fire in the building. The electric lights lighted the room brilliantly. There was no apparent danger. Then came a rumbling explosion--a crash--and the fire wall from the Nelson building toppled on the one-story building below, and the roof went down under the weight, burying the four men beneath it.FIVE BUSINESS HOUSES WRECKED BY FLAME
Starting in the Parrott & Kerr hardware store at 10:45 o'clock Saturday night, the fire swept more than half the business houses in the block.
The buildings destroyed were:
Bank of Rushville.
Parrott & Kerr hardware.
Nelson building, occupied by Wilson Grocery Co.
George T. Purcell, clothing.
Prentiss building; Orrin VanCleave, drugs.All of these buildings had frontage on the public square.
On North Congress street the offices of Dr. H. O. Munson and Dr. H. H. Speed, north of Bank of Rushville, were gutted, and two rooms of the Parrott & Kerr store facing on this street were entirely destroyed.
The Schuyler Citizen office, surrounded on three sides by a seething mass of flames, came thru without being seriously damaged. Linotype and presses were in no wise damaged, as no water was thrown in the building, and Editor Larash's loss comes from moving his stock and much of his type into the street.
A good fire wall on the east, and a four feet areaway between this building and the bank building, gave protection in a time of need.ENTIRE BLOCK IN DANGER
After fighting the fire for more than three hours it looked like every building in the block would go. When the Prentiss building burned it seemed that nothing could stop the progress of the fire. Fighting the fire from front and rear, it was put under control at this point, tho the west wall and roof of the John Barton building was badly damaged.
Babcock Bros. in the store adjoining moved out a portion of their stock but sustained no loss.
August Schaffer in the Odd Fellows building took no chances. He put trucks into service and moved his butcher shop stock and light equipment from the building.
The I. O. O. F. lodge removed all their records and regalia to a place of safety.
Robert Stover moved his Cheney musical instruments to a place of safety, but did not disturb his book store stock.
R. W. Nobel in the Dace building on the corner stood pat, awaiting developments, when it looked like the block was doomed.DISCOVERED FIRE AT 10:45 P.M.
The fire was discovered, simultaneously by a number of people from different viewpoints.
William Stephens, of the firm of Stephens & Bowman, left the store for his home, located north from the Bank of Rushville, and passed the front and side entrances of the Parrott & Kerr store without noting any signs of fire. As he turned to go into his home he looked up and saw a bright light in the rear of the Parrott & Kerr store. Just then the flame shot into the air, and before he could yell "Fire!" he heard a sky-light falling.
Vern Bowman, his business partner, closed the store a few minutes after Stephens left. As he locked the front door he saw a blaze break thru the roof of the Parrott & Kerr store.
Wm. Boehm had closed his meat market and was on the pavement at the same time and saw the blaze on the roof. He ran to the front of the building, and at that time smoke was pouring out of the upstairs window. As he looked in the front store window fire was seen falling from the ceiling in the rear of the main sales room.
Lewis Degitz was also one of the first to see the fire. He was on the north side of the square, and was attracted by a light in the store room, and saw fire falling from the ceiling.
All of these men saw the fire at about the same time and their cries of "Fire!" brought out men from the few places of business that were not closed--mostly barber shops and restaurants.
William Nelson, who roomed in the second story of his building, was awakened soon after the fire was discovered; also Orrin VanCleave and family, who lived in the rear of his drug store.
The entire stock of the Wilson Grocery Co. in the Nelson building was destroyed. G. C. McCreery, local manager, has not been informed of the amount of insurance or the plans of the company as to reopening.FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT PROVED TO BE INADEQUATE
Rushville had the water to fight the biggest fire in its history, but its fire fighting equipment and bad conditions of hydrants closely adjacent were sadly inadequate to the needs of the hour.
With the exception of a period when it became necessary to refill the standpipe, and cut out the booster pump, the pressure was good and there was plenty of water.
Firemen were handicapped by the extreme cold weather, as the mercury stood 12 degrees below zero, and the hose nozzles froze up every time they were shut off. Owing to the fact that several hydrants could not be used, it was necessary to lay a longer line of hose, and this hindered fighting the fire in its early stages.CITY SHOWS APPRECIATION OF AID RENDERED BY FIREMEN
The city council at its regular meeting Monday evening voted to give $25 each to Wert Colvin, Henry Davis, Wm. Frey amd N. O. Neal, Beardstown firemen who responded so quickly to Rushville's call for help, and who stayed thru the whole night fighting the flames and suffering from the intense cold and freezing water.
To Wilbur Stover of Astoria, who volunteered by himself to bring the Astoria hose to Rushville, and made the trip in forty minutes, the council voted funds to completely repair his car, which suffered damages in the flying trip, and a donation to Mr. Stover for his voluntary service.
The Beardstown firemen were in Rushville thirty-one minutes, after they had received the call of help from this city, and it is positive that without this hurried help from our two neighboring cities the flames would have done twice the damage which they did. The council also passed two resolutions which are published in other columns of this issue.INJURED IN PURCELL BUILDING
Geo. T. Purcell was caught beneath the wreckage of the falling roof in his store, when the four young men met their death, and his right leg was broken above the knee, and he was badly cut and bruised about the head. He was carried from the building and taken to the Culbertson hospital for treatment. He is making good recovery.
Mr. Purcell was pinned down by timbers and held fast, but his cries were heard by those who were making their escape from the room and a rescue party went to his aid and he was released and was taken on a stretcher to the hospital.
Rev. J. C. Brown, Vernon Unger and Glen Harris received scalp wounds, but were not seriously injured.
Others in the building when the roof fell were: Glen Moore, Herschel Hodges, Jas. Corman and Wm. Curry.
Young Moore had a most miraculous escape as he was farther in the building than the four who were killed, yet he escaped. The men killed were about twenty-five feet back in the building.FIREMEN FOUGHT VALIANTLY
Rushville firemen fought valiantly for five hours against great odds in the conflagration that swept the north side of the public square, and that they lost the battle is due to insufficient equipment rather than lack of judgment or valor.
With the origin of the fire located in an L of a brick building that gave no opportunity for near approach from front or rear is due the tremendous headway made by the fire.
At the time when the entire block seemed doomed, and all lines of hose were concentrated on one building on front and rear, effective results were obtained, and this would be the conditions in most fire locations, as has been proven by the history of the past.ALL K. OF P. RECORDS LOST
All the records of Schuyler Lodge No. 209, K. of P., and the Pythian Sisters were destroyed together with pharaphanalia, lodge furniture and a piano belonging to the Pythian Sisters.
H. B. Roach, keeper of records and seal of the K. of P. lodge, had made out his annual report, which was passed on by the auditing committee on Friday and he had it in his pocket at home. This is the only official record of the lodge saved, as every other record was in the lodge room, which occupied a suite of rooms over Bank of Rushville.
Mr. Roach does not even have a complete record of members of the lodge. He has a list from which he has been collecting dues, and members who have paid dues and hold receipts are asked to report to him.PARROTT & KERR RECOVER BOOKS
The safe of Parrott & Kerr, which fell into the basement when their building was wrecked by fire, was opened Wednesday morning.
Everything in the safe was in good condition. The binding on one ledger was the only book that showed signs of the intense heat and the cover was scorched.
The firm had completed their inventory on Saturday, and it was placed in the safe to be totaled on Monday. The recovery of this inventory up to the last day's business will facilitate adjustment of insurance, as all stock and fixtures in the three business rooms of this firm were a total loss.INQUEST HELD SUNDAY
Dr. W. F. Harvey, county coroner, summoned a jury Sunday and an inquest was held that afternoon at the R. A. Lawler undertaking parlors.
Those serving on the jury were: Geo. A. Virgil, Chas. B. Settles, R. C. Gray, I. P. Bartlow, J. W. Lickey and John C. Unger.
The only evidence offered was that of Rev. J. C. Brown. pastor of the M. E. church. who was in the building where the young men met their death.
The Rev. Mr. Brown testified:
"I was in the building where the boys were found. I was one of twelve or fifteen trying to salvage goods when there was a terrific crash of falling bricks. In some way I made my escape and I was positive there were some left behind. This is all I know. Then we rescued Mr. Purcell. He was covered with metal ceiling and bricks. It was some time before the building was afire."
The verdict of the jury was that Maurice McFeeters, Raymond Briggs, John Stover and Elmo Byrns were accidentally killed by a falling brick wall.BEARDSTOWN AND ASTORIA SENT FIREMEN AND HOSE
A call for aid was made to Beardstown about 12 o'clock and they responded promptly. Their firemen came and brought 600 feet of hose and later on more hose was sent.
The White Taxi Co. brought the firemen over the hard road from Beardstown in sixteen minutes.
An auto from Astoria made the trip with 550 feet of hose in forty minutes, but the driver wrecked the rim on one rear wheel of his car and blew out both rear tires. But he arrived.
Rushville is indeed grateful to our neighboring cities of Beardstown and Astoria, as without this extra hose the entire north side of the square would have been flame swept.PARROTT & KERR OPEN OFFICE IN CRANDALL BUILDING
Parrott & Kerr have opened temporary quarters in the Crandall building, opposite their one-room building standing intact on Congress street, which will soon be arranged for their business offices.
The firm had completed their invoice for the year on Saturday, but it had not been totaled and was put in the safe along with the books when the store was closed Saturday night.
The safe dropped into the basement when the office room was gutted by fire, and its intact, but cannot be opened until it has cooled sufficiently.
The fire door leading into the building on the alley, one of three rooms facing on Congress street, saved this building from destruction. The big ware-room, directly east, a building with sheet-iron exterior, was also saved. This building was filled with machinery, iron piping, etc.
The walls of the two rooms fronting on Congress street appear to be in good condition and just as soon as the insurance adjuster has made his report Parrott & Kerr will begin rebuilding their rooms, which will give them a good salesroom to use until a building can be built facing on the public square.
By making use of their temporary quarters the firm will be able to continue business at their old location and expand as building operations progress.
Messrs. Parrott & Kerr purchased the buildings occupied from the Griffith Hdw. Co. in 1920 and on Jan. 2d of this year made their final payment on the property.
The building was insured in the Hardware Mutual and Implement Mutual Insurance companies.GOV. SMALL SENDS MESSAGE OF SYMPATHY TO MAYOR
Hon. Geo. H. Baird, Mayor,
Rushville, Ill.:
I have just learned of the terrible catastophe that has visited your city. I regret this deeply and wish you would express to the bereaved ones in your community my sincere sympathy in their loss. LEN SMALL.FUNERAL OF FIRE VICTIMS HELD AT THE M.E. CHURCH TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
Funeral services of Elmo Byrns and Maurice McFeeters were held at the M. E. church on Tuesday and at both services the auditorium and gallery were crowded to capacity. High school pupils attended the funeral of Elmo Byrns in a body and all business houses closed during the hour of both funerals.
The funeral of Raymond G. Briggs and John Chedwick Stover will be held at the M. E. church, Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. All business houses will close for the double funeral.HERSCHEL ELMO BYRNS
Herschel Elmo, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Byrns, was born in Brown county, near Mt. Sterling, Ill., April 25, 1908; passing to his eternal reward in Rushville, Ill., Jan. 6, 1924, in the first hour of the day.
Elmo removed with his parents from Brown county to Schuyler when he was three years old. Again with the family he removed to Rushville, Dec. 3, 1920, his father then having taken up his duties as clerk of the circuit court.
Death came to him most unexpectedly, and with the suddenness of a violent stroke of lightning, as it likewise did to three other young men of our community all of whom met death within a few feet of each other.
The falling brick wall from the second story over the Wilson Grocery Co. store, crashing thru the room of the Purcell clothing store, being the cause of his instant death, as was true in the case of these young men.
Elmo, tho almost a man in appearance, was yet in the tender years of his life. He was in the full bloom of youth, and in every sense of the word a real boy. He possessed the natural ambitions of a lad of his age, with vigorous mind and strong body. He had many admirable traits.
He was anxious to be useful in the world. This disposition was being exemplified in his service of assisting to remove the stock of the Purcell Clothing Co. from the ravages of the approaching flames, which were threatening to consume many buildings of our city's business district, when he suddenly met his death.
He was personally ambitious to be a real success in life. He daily manifested the fact that he was willing to pay the price of success in terms of personal effort. He was a diligent worker. He deplored idleness. He determined to educationally fit himself for a career worth while. Being a sophomore in the Rushville high school, with a fine record of honor and achievement in his work, he was also giving every minute of his space time possible to the service of his employers, Runkle & Runkle.
Elmo was a lover of the church. Few young men are more regular in attendance in Sunday school and church services than was this lad. He was well reared in a Christian home, having been converted in Huntsville in 1918. He united with the Methodist church at Huntsville, and later transferred his membership to the Methodist church at Rushville.
Elmo was a very likeable boy with a very large circle of friends as was evidenced by the magnificent floral display at his funeral. He leaves to mourn his untimely death his father and mother and his brother, Frank, besides a host of uncles and aunts and cousins and other relatives.
The funeral services were conducted at the First M. E. church of Rushville on Tuesday morning, January 8, 1924, at 11 o'clock. Rev. J. C. Brown, his pastor, and Rev. G. L. Losh, of Beardstown, a friend of the family, being the officiating ministers.MAURICE HENRY McFEETERS
Maurice Henry, son of Mary Florence and William H. McFeeters, was born in Buenavista township, Schuyler county, Sept. 13, 1895, and departed this life Jan. 5, 1924; aged 28 years, 3 months and 22 days. He leaves to mourn his tragic death his devoted mother and father, one sister, Alma; two brothers, Paul and Charles, and four nieces and one nephew.
When America entered the World War, Maurice was registered at Independence, Iowa, where he had made his residence a short time previous. He was called to report and willingly made two trips there. The first time his contingent was gone, and the next time the armistice was signed. Maurice was ready and willing to serve his country.
Maurice was fortunate in that he was brought up in a Christian home. This influence was shown in his true Christian every day life, finding his greatest happiness in self-denial and service of other members of his family and friends. He was converted in 1911, during the tabernacle meeting in Rushville, and united with the M. E. church during the ministry of Mr. Ennis. In his dealings with men he was ever upright and true.
Maurice never complained of his allotment in life, always ready and willing to serve all in time of trouble and distress. He possessed an unusual amount of cheerfulness, showing his true Christian character in word and deed.
Maurice was patient as a son, helpful and thoughtful as a brother, devoted and loyal as a friend. He passed out of this life as he had lived it, doing helpful deeds for others. The devotion and influence of his life will ever be a pleasant page in the book of life of all who knew him.
He leaves this benediction to us: "Bear ye one anothers' burdens, and so fulfill the laws of Christ."
Funeral services were held at the M. E. church Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by Rev. E. S. Borton, pastor of the M. E. circuit, assisted by Rev. J. C. Brown.DOUBLE FUNERAL THRUSDAY
Funeral services for Raymond Briggs and John Chedwick Stover will be held from the M. E. church Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Services will be conducted by Rev. J. C. Brown, pastor of the M. E. church, assisted by Rev. Ira L. Livingston, pastor of the Presbyterian church, and Rev. Geo. P. Snyder, pastor of the Christian church. Interment will be made in the city cemetery.
JOHN CHEDWICK STOVER
John Chedwick Stover, who lost his life in the fire Saturday, had lived in Rushville since Jan. 16, 1923, when he came here to make his home with his brother, George. Since then he has worked with his brother in Hinner's garage.
He was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., July 25, 1902, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Stover, and his age was 21 years, 6 months and 11 days. In 1917 he removed to Wasco, Calif., with his parents and Jan. 16, 1923, came to Rushville.
His mother, Mrs. Susan Jane Stover of Wasco, Calif., was on her way to Rushville to visit her sons when she received news of John's death.
Other brothers and sisters are: Preston Stover of Wasco, Calif., Mrs. Mary Cariker of Oakland, Calif., and Mrs. Lottie Thompson of Pomona, Kansas; Mrs. Geo. Thompson of Ottawa, Kansas, and Sidney Stover of Wasco, Calif.
During the time young Stover had been a resident of Rushville he had made many friends among young men of his age and his two best friends were Raymond Briggs and Maurice McFeeters, who were his companions in death.
These three young men chummed together, they volunteered their services in fighting the fire; they mounted the rear buildings of Parrott & Kerr's store to give aid to the firemen; they assisted in removing Attorney Billingsley's law library and furniture from the Bank of Rushville building and together they entered the Purcell store to carry on their good work, when they were instantly killed beneath the mass of wreckage that fell upon them when a falling wall crushed in the roof.RAYMOND BRIGGS
Raymond Briggs, son of George and Henrietta Briggs, was born in Woodstock township, Schuyler county, Ill., May 23, 1902, and died fighting valiantly in the great conflagration of his home city of Rushville on the night of Jan. 5, 1924, at the age of 21 years, 7 months and 12 days. Thus from earth into the great beyond a bright and useful life at a moment's call.
He was united in marriage to Miss Beulah M. Chipman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed. S. Chipman, April 13th, 1921, and to this union was born a daughter, Laura Virginia, Feb. 27th, 1922, who with the broken-hearted wife, together with father, mother and sister, Mrs. Raymond Quigley of Frederick, Ill.; brother, Fred, sisters Katie and Sadie of Rushville, Ill., are left to mourn this tremendous loss.
Raymond was a faithful husband, providing well for his household, a kind and indulgent father; looking forward with great joy to the future and welfare of his only child, who at this tender age will never know of his devoted life and love, and when duty called, rather than stand idly by, moved forward with a steady step and yielded up his life, working for others. While we cannot know why one in the vigor of manhood and life, surrounded by a happy home and family, should be chosen in this particular way or time, let us say from our very hearts: "Father of love, Thou has given and Thou hast taken away; help us to bear our burden and love Thee still."
And to the sorrowing loved ones, we ask you to look forward with ardent hope and with an unshaken confidence that sometime, somewhere, you may be united again, when we all shall see with a clearer vision, and behold our loved one in forms that never fade, and in states that never again will be changed or affections that never dull. And until then we commit his spirit to God who gave it. And his loved ones we commend to the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for his own.
The Rushville Times, used by permission.Copyright 2003 Robin L. W. Petersen; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.