Iowa Old Press
The Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Monday, November 19, 1945
$50,000 Fire Is Fought at Independence
INDEPENDENCE—Fire which broke out at 9:30 p.m. Sunday in the W. E. Glenny building on Main street caused damage unofficially estimated at $50,000.
The first floor of the building, which housed a grocery store and meat market owned by the Independent Meat and Grocery company of Waterloo, was gutted. An apartment on the second floor occupied by Dr. G. L. Rosier was wrecked, and the insurance and farm agency office of R. F. Clarke was badly damaged.
Although firemen confined the blaze to the Glenny building, heavy smoke and water damage resulted in the building to the east occupied by the G. F. Schroeder drug store and the offices of Dr. B. B. Sells and Dr. P. J. Leehy.
The Leytze furniture store also suffered smoke damage.
The fire was discovered by Dr. Rosier, who was the only person in the two-story brick Glenny building at the time. Firemen said it started on the west side of the food store near a large walk-in refrigerator, and added they believed that defective wiring was the cause.
The two Independence fire trucks and the fire truck from the Independence State Hospital responded to the alarm. Under the direction of the Chief Paul Soener, seven hose lines were laid. The fire was under control at about 11:30.
[transcribed by L.Z., Mar 2021]