Lightning Causes Dangerous Blaze (J.W. Norris Livery Barn)

NORRIS, GREEN, NEELY, BEARD, SPAULDING, ARTHERLONEY

Posted By: Marilyn Norris Holmes (email)
Date: 3/16/2010 at 21:05:00

The Grinnell Herald (Grinnell, Iowa) June 10, 1913

LIGHTNING CAUSES DANGEROUS BLAZE

Sets Fire to Baled Hay and Straw in Loft of J.W. Norris Livery Barn.

ALARM TURNED IN IN MIDST OF STORM

While Fire Rages in the Loft the Stables in Cellar Are Flooded by Rain.

J.W. Norris met with quite a heavy loss in the fire which visited his livery barn last Friday evening, but not nearly as serious as it might have been. The fire was due to lightning, which struck the roof of the main barn and set fire to the baled hay and straw which were stored inside. It was a mean fire to fight, with the smoke and smoulder which always attend such fires, and the Grinnell fire department did a very nifty job of fighting it. The flames were first driven back from the windows with water and then the hay and straw were dumped out of the windows into the flood which had gathered just beneath.

Mr. Norris had on hand in the loft which was struck 25 tons of hay worth $11 a ton and 10 tons of straw, worth $6 a ton, making a total loss of the two of $335. In addition the roof over the loft, 32x62 feet, was destroyed and some of the wooden sheathing on the inside of the barn was burned. The loss on the building will be several hundred dollars. All the loss is covered by insurance.

The building was struck in the very height of the storm, when the rain was falling in torrents. Dr. March Green was standing on the main floor near the front of the barn and was quite hadly shocked by the stroke. As soon as he recovered he volunteered to drive his car up town and give the alarm. As he drove up Fifth Avenue he met the water rolling down the pavement in torrents but fought his way through until he came to the Braod street corner, where he met a veritable wall of water which drowned the car and almost drowned him. He left the car at the corner, made his way to the fire hall on foot and in a few minutes the fire fighters were struggling through the storm to the scene of action.

The first step was to get out the horses and carriages which was quickly done. It would have been necessary to take out the horses, at all events for the basement stable where they are kept was flooded by the torrent which was racing down State street. Chief E.M. Neely and his men planted their ladders on the east side of the building in water which was waist deep.

The burning hay had mostly been removed by 9 o'clock in the evening but a couple of men stayed on the job all night to make sure that all was safe.

Mr. Norris is going right ahead to repair the damage. His business has not been interrupted in any way.

A barn on the old Beard place, in southeast Grinnell, now owned by H.W. Spaulding, was also struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The tenant, Mr. Artherloney, lost 6 or 7 tons of hay.

There were various other rumors of fires, but none of them proved correct.