Grundy Center Blaze 1897

RASP, FROST, ENGELKES

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 5/24/2011 at 14:05:55

Another Blaze.

Last Saturday night about 11:30 o'clock Fred Frost noticed a peculiar light shining on the door of his bed room, and on investigation he discovered flames leaping from the back of the building occupied by M. I. E. Rasp's general store on West Main Street. A fearful blizzard was raging at the time, but this did not deter Mr. Frost from giving the alarm of fire.

Although hundreds were called only a few succeeded in hearing the fire bell, and those few, many of whom had not a dollar at stake, worked like trojans to keep down what promised to be a serious conflagration. Notwithstanding the fact that the fire laddies were covered from head to foot with ice, they stuck to their work, through a blinding storm, and succeeded in subduing the fire fiend before much damage was done to the building.

The fire, which was undoubtedly incendiary, started in the back room of the second floor. No fire had been in that part of the building this winter, and the place where it originated was cut off by a partition from the room through which the chimney passes. Mr. Rasp informed the Republican that he heard some one up there in the evening and wondered what they were doing, but as it was early he let it pass without any further notice.

The three buildings on that corner are owned by H. W. Engelkes and he has them insured in the Fidelity of Des Moines for $2,000. M. I. E. Rasp occupies the second building from the corner. His goods are badly damaged from water and smoke. Mr. Rasp has $3,000 insurance, divided equally between the Milwaukee Mechanics of Milwaukee, German American of New York, and the Commercial Union Insurance Co. of New York.

Notes.

It took almost thirty feet of water from the standpipe to subdue the flames.

A bucket brigade would not have been in it. The elements were against any such work.

But for Grundy Center's fine system of waterworks last Saturday night's fire would have resulted in heavy losses to the business men, and might have worked its way to the residence portion of the town.

If any one in "this man's town" set that building on fire last Saturday night the Republican would caution him not to attempt it again. It won't burn so long as the standpipe remains on the hill.

Several barrels of kerosene were in a shed back of the building, and while moving them out of the way some of the boys got pretty well soaked by the fluid. They weren't aware that the bungs had been knocked out of the barrels.

--The Grundy County Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 28 January 1897