Damage Estimates Approach $750,000
More than 125 volunteer firemen waged a four-hour long battle
last night to bring under control a blaze that razed the three-story,
half-block-long Moose Lodge building, destroying four street level
businesses and for a time threatened other large sections of the
downtown area.
Accumulated losses, including destruction of the 93-year-old building
and all contents, was estimated at between $500,000 and $750,000.
Firemen from virtually every fire-fighting unit in the county
braved the intense heat, the constant hazards of 60-foot high
crumbling brick walls and raining white hot chunks of cinders
and other flying debris to confine the blaze to the quarter block
area.
Fire units from as far away as Columbia City and Churubusco came
to the aid of local departments. Firemen also were made to dodge
heavy voltage power lines that were being snapped off like matchsticks
as flames consumed the building.
Most Damaging
Last night's disaster was described as probably the most damaging
in the city's 113-year history. More than a million and one-half
gallons of water were poured on the blazing inferno by nine pumpers.
A total of 11 pumpers and five tankers were on the scene. Water
was pumped onto the building had a rate of 100 gallons a second.
The blazing hot cinder chunks fanned by a 10-15 mph southerly
wind splashed and pelted rooftops in the adjacent business block
for more than 100 yards distance. Firemen were dispatched to the
tops of these buildings to water down and stamp out fires as they
were spotted. A two-foothold was burned in the roof of the nearby
Kline Department Store across the street, but was quickly extinguished
by total worked volunteers.
At the height of the blaze flames shot skyward for more than 150
feet and were easily visible for a distance of nearly twenty miles
in all directions from the city.
A four-man crew under the direction of a Leesburg volunteer poured
hundreds of gallons of water on The Times Bldg. roof and south
wall to prevent a spreading of the fire. The building, home of
The Times-Union, is located directly across the street from the
Moose Lodge.
The building has been the home of the local Moose Lodge for the
past 40 years or longer. The Lodge owns the two top floors and
the barbershop site on the street level. The top floor is on occupied.
The remaining three business quarters on the street level and
located to the west of the barbershop are owned by local businessman,
William Chinworth, of Argonne Rd. These house the firms of Miller's
Mens and Boys Wear (Charles Miller), the Lowery Sewing Center
(Harold Lowery) and Fribley Market (Wayne Fribley). All three
are local businessmen.
Stocks, building contents, including fixtures and accounts receivable
lost in the blaze by the four business firms are estimated at
nearly $300,000.
Loss Extensive
Heaviest single loser was the Miller's Mens and Boys store, with
damages expected to reach nearly the $200,000 mark, stated owner
Charles Miller. Dewey Lawshe estimated a sustained loss of $15,000
to his barbershop. Harold Lowery stated today his damages would
total approximately $50,000 in merchandise and other fixtures
and equipment. Wayne Fribley stated his food service losses would
exceed possibly $30,000. Chinworth's estimated loss could not
be determined at press-time, but it is known that he spent at
least $25,000 probably more in modernizing the three store fronts
less than a year ago.
Origin of the blaze has not been definitely determined, City Fire
Chief Norman Banghart stated today. However from witnesses it
has been determined that the fire began at the building's west
end, possibly from the second floor.
Heavy Explosion
Only seconds after an alarm was turned in by 25-year old Sharon
Drumheller, a lodge room bartender, a heavy explosion tore out
the west wall, blocking the adjacent alleyway with piles of brick,
debris and twisted telephone and power lines. Shock from the explosion
was felt within an area of three to four blocks away.
The alarm was received at the city fire station at 9:30 p.m. Only
two other persons were in the lodge at the time. They were Robert
Dougherty, 46 and Robert Roberts, both of Warsaw. When the trio
spotted the blaze, the entire west wall was in flames.
Escape Building
Roberts and Dougherty attempted to take a fire extinguisher from
a nearby wall after first seeing the blaze, but were thwarted
by intense heat and smoke. The three escaped from the building
from the second floor barroom via steps at the northeast end of
the building. No other persons were in the building at the time
the explosion was first felt. As the trio was escaping down the
stairway the explosion shook several wall pictures off the hangers
in the foyer.
Two youthful witnesses to the explosion were 16-year old Michael
Olinger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rex Smith of 547 East Center St.,
and his companion, James Spigutz 15, son of Mrs. Arthur Spigutz
of 810 West Canal St., Winona Lake.
Boys Startled
The boys were walking down the south alley in the rear of the
building and across the downtown parking lot when they were startled
by an explosion and large blue flash that blew out the west wall.
They were narrowly missed from being hit by a falling high tension
line. They estimated time of the explosion at approximately 9:30
p.m. Both are Warsaw High School students, Olinger a sophomore,
Spigutz a freshman.
Both witnesses said the explosion and flames appeared to be coming
from the west end of the building and to be shooting out the second
and third floors. They estimated their distance away at time of
explosion at approximately 50 yards.
Firemen were able to save the frame offices of Dr. J. R. Baum
and Dr. Winton Thomas. The offices, located to the rear of the
Moose Building, face South Indiana Street.
Three other witnesses also told of seeing the blue flash of an
explosion at the west end of the building. They reported that
the explosion appeared to have originated from the second floor.
These witnesses were in automobiles stopped on Indiana St., by
a traffic light while headed south, facing the building fronting
on Market.
In one automobile were John Russell, 20 of Bucyrus, Ohio and a
companion 20 year old Kenneth Bertrum, of Rochester, N.Y. Both
are employed by the North Electric Co., of Galion, Ohio doing
telephone installation work here for the United Telephone Company.
In another automobile was Forrest Croop, Warsaw Community Schools
administrator, who verified the formers' statements.
Window Broken
The explosion broke out a window in the second story of the Brennan
Drug Store across the alley to the west, setting a storage room
afire. However, firemen quickly extinguished this blaze immediately
upon arriving at the scene. Had not this fire been spotted immediately
by Frank Brennan, following the explosion it could have been the
origin of the blaze that could have threatened the second quarter
block to the west.
City Patrolman Ted Dobbins was checking nearby downtown doors
when he heard the explosion. He stated that in a period of less
than three minutes following the explosion flames had already
spread from one end to the other of the building.
Following the explosion the south section of the city to its limits
at Walnut Creek was blacked out without electrical power for sometime.
Power lines serving nearby rural areas to the west and south of
the city also were severed, causing blackouts.
Radio Stations WRSW AM-FM who broadcast on-the-scene descriptions
of the blaze from the steps of The Times Building, were knocked
off the air by power failure, but returned immediately via use
of an emergency standby generator.
Rapid fire, on-the-spot broadcasts were done by Jack Essenburg
and Duane Pagel, WRSW staff members. These, along with William
K. (Bill) Mollenhour, a Times-Union photographer at the scene,
narrowly escaped injury when a crumbling north wall sent bricks
hurling their way. One brick smashed in a large plate glass window
located in The Times Building foyer. The trio was standing outside
on the sidewalk just below the window when it struck.
Mollenhour Injured
Other rolling debris from the falling wall smashed in numerous
windows of The Times Union newsroom, located in the basement.
Mollenhour was struck on the right ankle by a rolling brick, causing
painful injury, but he continued to take his pictures despite
the hurt. He was the only known person injured.
Lowery was able to salvage only a few of his customers' sewing
machines in for repair, some files, when driven from his store
by heavy smoke and intense heat. The Kline department Store sustained
heavy smoke damage. Smoke also filled The Times Building.
Saves Barber Pole
A volunteer fireman singlehandedly dragged a more than 400-lb
barber chair from the Lawshe barbershop. The only other item saved
in the building was a valued barber pole given to Lawshe by his
mother, Dixie, purchased while the latter was abroad. The pole
was from Dublin, Ireland. Firemen saved this pole for Lawshe,
a colleague volunteer fireman.
The building was burning fiercely when first fire unites arrived
at the scene shortly after the 9:30 p.m. alarm was given. Winona
Lake firemen, headed by Chief Bruce Howe, were in a meeting when
notified of the conflagration. They proceeded immediately to Warsaw.
Two walls of the nearly century old building (it was constructed
in 1873 as an opera house) collapsed at the height of the blaze.
A south wall was in danger of collapsing at any time and Pennsylvania
trains passing through the city were ordered to proceed at speeds
limited to 10 miles an hour. The precaution was taken to avoid
ground vibrations that might collapse the remaining wall.
Sparks from the blaze were seen to spread some five or more blocks
northward some entering residential sections of the city.
Sealed Off Traffic
The downtown area was sealed off to traffic by police, assisted
by Civil Defense groups headed by Milo Clase and KEMRAD units
in charge of Gene Gregory. Guards continued to be posted around
the building throughout the night and this morning.
Power services to much of the area was disrupted as flames burned
out transformers and lines. City police radio communication was
knocked off the air by power failure. All available ambulance
services were in the fire area. No reports of injury, however,
have been reported. Crashing of the walls could be heard for blocks
away as well as what were described as small explosions. Northern
Indiana Public Service Co. employees had the hazardous task of
cutting off five gas lines leading into the structure.
County units answering Warsaw's call for assistance included departments
from Winona Lake, Claypool, Silver Lake, Mentone, Leesburg, Atwood,
Syracuse, North Webster, Burket, Milford and Etna Green.
THANK GOD FOR OUR FIREMEN!
An Editorial (Curtis Garber)
Firemen we salute you all! The City of Warsaw, its entire community,
today owes you a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid.
You many volunteers, who came from near and far to save our city's
downtown business section from possible total destruction will
never learn our full appreciation. Wards are impossible to describe
it. When we witnessed glowing embers showering the rooftops of
many downtown buildings, we braced ourselves for the worst.
You saved our city. We thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.
CAME THE DAWN October13, 1967 Looking South West on Market Street |
![]() Warsaw Opera House Interior Second floor auditorium & huge stage. Picture from stereocard |
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