BEIK LUMBERYARD BURNS AT GRANDVIEW

BEIK

Posted By: Judy Kelley (volunteer) (email)
Date: 9/6/2012 at 15:53:15

Button Factory Is Destroyed By The Fire.

LOSS IS ABOUT $25,000.00

Fire Started About 3:30 in the Button Factory and Spread to Lumber Shed and Barn - Residence and Office Building Saved by Hard Work - Loss Partially Covered by Insurance.

Grandview was visited by a very disastrous conflagration early Tuesday morning which entirely destroyed the button factory and lumber house belonging to J. J. Beik and a barn owned by Mrs. Jackson. The loss is estimated at about $25,000, with insurance of $12,000.

The button factory, with most of its contents was destroyed, as was also the immense stock of lumber in the buildings adjoining. The barn stood to the east of the latter building and nothing but the livestock was saved from it.

The alarm of fire was turned in to the telephone office about 3:30 and the operators soon had the town and country folks arounsed, and there was an immense number of them on the ground in a short time to give what aid they could. However, with nothing to fight the flames but a bucket brigade, it was impossible to check the flames, and all efforts were directed towards saving the office building and residence of Mrs. Jackson, which stood across the road, which they succeeded in doing.

The fire started in the sorting room of the button factory, which confirms the suspicions of many people that it was of incendiary origin. Not only will Mr. Beik suffer from the loss, but about twenty-five employees of the factory will be thrown out of employment, thus affecting the business interests of the town to a considerable extent. We understand that the factory will be rebuilt at once, and the other buildings destroyed will no doubt be replaced in time. Mr. Beik's many friends all sympathize with him in his loss and hope that he will Phoenix-like "arise from the ashes," and build anew.

Source: newspaper clipping with a handwritten date of Dec 16, 1913.