The DeBey Block Burned 1900

DEBEY, BROADHEAD, NOBLE, SMITH, FARLEY, DE JONG, SISSING, UPSON, HARDIN

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 3/25/2017 at 22:55:05

The Clinton Mirror
W. D. Eaton, Editor
Clinton, Iowa, January 6, 1900

The DeBey Block Burned

One of the most disastrous fires that has visited this locality for many years occurred early Saturday morning when the DeBey block at the corner of Base and Cherry Streets opposite the Northern Illinois College and J. W. Broadhead’s double store, was reduced to ruin.

About 12:30 Saturday morning residents in the vicinity of the building were awakened by the bursting of the plate glass front in the north store room of the block, which made a loud noise. Ed Milne, at once called in to the saw mill to turn in an alarm an asked the operator at the central office to call all residents of Fulton who had telephones. In company with Chester Snyder he went up to the hose house No. 1 and got out the hose cart and brought it down. By this time the alarm of fire had brought out hose company No. 2 and a crowd of people, but by this time the building was a mass of flames.

The fire department made a most heroic struggle against the fire, and it is due to the fortitude and bravery of the volunteer foremen under the leadership of H. B. Noble, chief, that Fulton is not called upon to mourn a much heavier loss. Too much cannot be said in praise of them. The weather was bitter cold, the thermometer registered 8 below zero, and the building being a brick structure with but few windows, made the work of fighting the flames difficult until the outer walls fell outward, when the water could be brought to bear on the fire with one telling effect. Even then it was persistent work alone that saved the surrounding buildings. The fact that the north wall did not fall saved the city hall and prevented the spread of the flames to the north, while the northwest wind and the fact that the west wall remained up saved the Phoenix livery stable and buildings to the west.

Fearing that the local department would not be able to hold the fire back, the Lions firemen were asked to assist and responded promptly with one hose cart and soon an extra stream of water playing on the fire from the northwest.

The Journal from which we take the above, says “not an article was saved from any of the rooms.”

Messrs. Smith and Farley lost all books and papers etc.; Mr. De Jong lost $750, with $400 insurance; John Sissing, tobacco etc., $700 with $200 insurance; Miss Upson $350, and no insurance; Lodge of Stove Mounters, $50. Building, $8,000 to $10,000, contents $3,000, with $6,000 insurance – owned by Hardin estate. A bad fire for several.