OCR Text |
Show TIIH OLD CO OP FIRE. The Building Humed Monday Mxruliis Loii KlOO.-Nu Iuiirmtc0, Monday morning, alout 3:30, our eity was awakened from a drowsy stupor by the lively inging of the li re hel 1. H u in I reds of peopl e hurriedly dres?ed themstdves and rushed toward the center of the city, where a great red cloud seemed to hang just above (he housetops. The Old Co-op was ablaze its entire ! length. The red tongue of lire j were licking their way through the roof from gable to gable when the alarm was first soundud. The firemen fire-men were on the ground in a surprisingly sur-prisingly short time and had the one stream knocking the life out of the flames in ft few minutes after the first alarm; shortly afterward a second stream was brought into play. The shacks in the rear of the main building burned like tinder and were pretty well consumed con-sumed before the fire was discovered. The powerful streams from the nozzles did splendid work, however. They quelled the fierceness of the fire in the frame structures; immediately im-mediately and effectively dtopped and prevented further spreading of the flames and knocked the fire out of the roof of the adobe portion in beautiful style. The fire was completely com-pletely extinguished in less than an hour. Tho boys had some good practice on the inflammable frame ; shanties. Literally gutted by 1 the flames as they were when the first water struck them, it was a surprise that the firemen saved so many buards and logs from titter destruction. Total loss, $700; no insurance. Cause of fire unknown, but tramps are supposed to have started it. This is the first fire that has occurred in town since the establishment of the water works last year, and on this occasion the power of coping with fires which lie-in them was d.enioii.tinti' to the entire satisfaction of all who witnessed this conflagration. Many were the remarks to the effect that had the water system been in operation op-eration when the Gehrig-Wilson fire occurred last summer, not only tlie cjubrg building, but the meat market as well could have been saved. The firemen were out in force and worked like Trojans. The Bugler takes this occasion to congratulate them, qn tlieir- heha-vjorat heha-vjorat this their initiatory conflagration. con-flagration. The want of more hose and other paraphernalia was apparent, ap-parent, and we trust this will be remedied before their tiext pll. The Jjerahl says of the fire: This morning at 4 o'clock a fire broke oui at the Qld. Coqp building, build-ing, on the ootmer of Main and Forest streets, and at first it looked as if four more stores would go up, but this was prevented by the prompt action of the fire depart' ment, who had. wftter on the fjre in less than five minutes after the alarm was given. The firemen deserve de-serve much praise for the work they did at the fire. Two of the firemen were burned some in trying try-ing to save merchandise, but not darigeyaiisly, Xohh abQVlt OQ. |