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Pelletier event of Pelletier event of Dec. 23, 1904 Memories were rekindled Sunday for many longtime Sioux City residents who stood with thousands of others and grimly witnessed the virtual destruction of the West hotel by fire. For those who are old enough
Sunday’s fire brought back the great downtown fire of 1904, when the "Old W It began about 8 p. m. December 23, 1904 The downtown disdistrict was choked with bustling Christmas shoppers. George M. Kellogg, chief of the fire department, noticed a wisp of smoke drifting from the basement of the Peiletier store, then situated in the old Massachusetts building on the southwest corner of Fourth and Jackson streets. The "Christmas fire" was ignited ed when a "Santa Claus" demonstrating a mechanical toy to a group of children accidentaly dropped a match used to start the toy into a pile of cotton "snow." Destruction Spreads Chief Kelllog turned in a alarm and a hose cart whisked to the scene in two minutes. But despite efforts of firemen, the blaze gradually swept from Jackson street west to Pierce street.
Blaze Destroys Kiln at Brick, Tile Plant A spectacular fire, the smoke of which was visible for several miles, destroyed the south continuous kiln at brickyard 1, Sioux City Brick and Tile Co., Tuesday afternoon in Riverside. Damage was estimated at from $75,000 to $100000, Edgar Higman , assistant fire chief, said. Three freight cars on the siding
at the loading dock of the plant virtually were destroyed The estimate D. P. Mahoney, president of the firm, said officially after the fire had been brought under control that the damage might exceed $100,000. He arrived at the scene shortly after fire broke out Mr. Mahoney said the blaze broke out at the west end of the building and the structure was enveloped in flames in a short time. He said that eight or 10 employes were in the building the time but no one was injured . The cause of the blaze has not determined. A small plant office near the Kiln also was destroyed. Company officials said they ad no idea as to the cause of the fire. The plant is operated with gas and there is extensive viring in the structure, temperature instruments and varnus kinds of pipe leading hrough a variety of chambers. The superintendent of the plant is George Alt but he was so upset that company officials advised he not be questioned at this time. Four fire companies went to the scene. Several streams of water still were thrown on the a two-story structure about 180 by 80 feet. Mr. Mahoney said that the plant, employing about 60 men, probably would be out of operation but its business could be handled by a nearby plant and also one at Sergeant Bluff, which is a part of the same concern. Plant 2 nearby employs about 40 men. Officer Sees Smoke Patrolman Edward Verbeski said he was on Riverside boulevard going by Shore Acres shortly before noon when suddenly denly he saw a huge - mushroom of smoke. There was no explosion. Firemen said the heat was intense. Several waIls crumbled and traffic was rerouted along Riverside boulevard. The last of the four companies of firemen returned to their station nearly six hours after the alarm was received.
Sioux City Journal Article 10-3-56 Brown Block Fire (March 26, 1914) An early morning of March 26, 1914, has always stood out vividly in my memory as the most dramatic morning in my life. As I forsook my warm bed about 4:30 a. in., aroused by the insistent tapping of the fire alarm gong nearby I had little premonition of the startling events about to take place. Old timers in Sioux City will remember me as the. "fire reporter," who, with white buggy and fast galloping horse, clang over the streets in pre-motor days. The duties of the fire porter were to race to the home of any businessman whose place of business was threatened by fire during the night and race with him to the fire. On this particular morning, little gong tapped out the number for Fourth and Nebraska Street. My station was between Fifth and Sixth streets on Nebraska street and I rolled up to the fire corner somewhat ahead of the drawn fire trucks, clattering up for Fourth street from Water street on the west and Fifth and Iowa streets on the east. Net Saves Lives Thick billows of smoke were rolling from the windows of the four-story building on the southeast corner of Fourth and Nebraska streets, known as the. Brown block and occupied on the first floor by the Moore Clothing company. On the Fourth street side, men and women were leaning out of third and fourth floor windows, screaming for help. The hook and ladder truck from No. 3 station at Fifth and Iowa streets was first to arrive, and Capt. Ed Roth and his men quickly dragged out a circular life There was no time to spare panic stricken inmates were attempting to leap to the concrete. As it some of them jumped so that frequently there were in the net at the same time. As the saving of life was important at the moment, I had hold of the net to help the men out and the last young women to jump landed so close’ me that I felt as if my arms been jerked from their sockets. I afterwards learned that broke her jaw by striking it on her knee as she rebounded from the net Fateful Farewell Soon I left the fire scene to tend to the business of bringing owners of threatened property the fire, and, as I started away I heard Assistant Fire Chief H. Pecaut tell his driver, Seeley Lawton, to go after Chief George, Kellogg, who lived at 313 Center street. As Lawton dashed away in the buggy, he raced side beside with me to Sixth and Nebraska streets, and he shouted triumphantly as he beat me to the corner and turned west on Sixth with a parting wave of his hand. I continued on up Nebraska. Neither of us had had any foreboding of the deep tragedy to follow. A friendly gesture by Lawton proved to be his farewell to me. The next time I saw him I was when he assisted a group of tight lipped smoke blackened firemen to lift his lifeless, body from the ruins several of the fire. Those Greedy Flames By the time I returned to the their scene, bringing with me two of the Anderson brothers of the Anderson Furniture company, clouds who of smoke were pouring from the five-story building housing their were furniture stock. Along the curb on the Fourth hotel street side and squarely in front of the Anderson store, stood the big hook and ladder truck from No. 5 station with its extension. ladder up the front of the building. Flames were bursting from Brown block alley windows and snapping over the roof of the Orcutt hardware building to the south, lighting the scene with a lurid glare. At the intersection of Fourth and Nebraska streets, Frank Fulton (sometimes known as Ryan), a member of No. 1 hose company, was tightening a leaky hose connection with a spanner wrench, and, as he seemed to be having him considerable difficulty, I stopped to help him. Fulton’s Last Word As I remember the lineup at that moment, No. 1 hook and ladder company’s extension ladder went up to a fourth floor window of the Anderson store, and No. 5 hose crew from the stockyards district were on this ladder shooting water into fourth floor windows. No. 1 firemen were on the ground pouring several streams into first floor windows on the Fourth street side, assisted by No. 2 hook and ladder crew. In the alley were No. 4 Hose Company from 14th and Nebraska streets and No. 2 Hose Company from W. Seventh street, also part of No. 2 hook and ladder crew. Fulton and I finished the hose connection, and Fire Chief Kellogg came up and ordered Fulton to rejoin his company in front of the buildings. As he started away , he asked me if there was an automatic sprinkler system in the Orcutt building. Those were his last words. Just as he passed the corner and vanished in the smoke, there came a ripping, crashing part sound from the Anderson building, and flames burst from all Fourth street windows. The five-story front wall leaned outward, slowly but, oh, so menacingly, pushing back the ladder with the No. 5 hose crew on it. In the sudden glare of the flames, firemen on the ground could be seen scattering like a flock of frightened quail and fleeing for safety amid a shower of falling brick and stone. When Death Came Close On the ladder, 60 feet above the pavement, clung men of No. 5 hose company, facing what seemed to be certain death as the big ladder bent back, back toward the center of Fourth street. Seconds seemed an eternity of gaping horror. Then with a thunderous roar the towering wall crashed, splintering the ladder to kindling wood, burying the big truck itself, and the firemen from the stockyards district in a tangle of street car wires, power lines, brick, mortar blazing chaos. One after another we pulled out several firemen, battered and bleeding but miraculously alive, some so dazed that they fought their rescuers. A quick checkup showed all the o. 5 crew accounted for. Firemen who could stand on their feet returned to battle the flames which were now licking at the Orcutt building on the south and Frank’s hotel on the east. Other firemen, ore seriously hurt, were taken to hospitals. Two Men Unaccounted For! The confusion was great, and Fire Chief Kellogg asked me to help check all fire companies for missing men. It was only when we got to No 1 hose company in that we discovered two absentees—Frank Fulton and Seeley Lawton. Firemen who could be spared from the job of fighting the flames, policemen and volunteers began an attack on hot bricks and mortar, piled up in the street. Having been the last one to see Frank Fulton, I had a hunch where to look for him, and Fireman Phil McDougal and myself soon uncovered his metal helmet. A few minutes later we came upon the red stocking cap which he wore under his helmet and which was still on his head. Death had been instantaneous. We silently lifted his broken body and placed it in an undertaker’s basket. As we carried the basket to a waiting ambulance, spectators made a path for us, and stood with uncovered heads. A few minutes later another group of searchers reached Seeley Lawton and we again brought a wicker basket into use.
Fire Causes $8,000 Damage to O.P. Skaggs Store Nearly Completed
Among Losses Fire of undetermined origin early this morning gutted 0. P Skaggs system store 5, 4100 Morningside avenue, and resulted in damages estimated by Assistant Fire Chief Oscar Forsman as close to $8,000. The blaze was discovered, it was
said, by two firemen returning returning home from early morning Forsman described the fire as that of a smoldering type, which probably began during the night. M. J. Sjoblon, store manager, said he made a regular inspection of the store late Sunday and another employee said he visited the store Sunday night to operate lights. Firemen estimated the loss at the interior as close to $6,000. Damage to the building, including that to a new front being remodeled at the time, totaled about $2,000. Firemen credited with discovering the blaze were Marvin Hess and Vernon Erskine who were returning from work at the stockyards station, 408 S. Chambers street. Called to the scene were Morningside and stockyards station and Ladder Company 3, Fifth and Iowa street. Sioux City Journal , June 1943
Last updated: 10/18/98 |
