===================================================================== Match: Bowles Source: INMONROE-L@rootsweb.com From: "Randi Richardson" <GFTL@bluemarble.net> Subject: Varmits Believed to Have Started Fire at the Bowles Hotel Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Telephone, Mar 28, 1905, p. 1. NOTE: This lengthy article was abbreviated below as noted by the ellipsis. EXCITING FIRE Hotel Bowles Building Much Danger; Little Loss At 8 o'clock Saturday night the Hotel Bowles block enveloped in smoke, it looked as if Bloomington was to have a disastrous fire. However, energetic work and carefully constructed walls kept the flames within the basement, and in half an hour all danger was over with a real loss of not over $1000 mostly from smoke and water. The fire started in the basement under the post office on North College Avenue, and ignited the coal and miscellaneous matter. For almost an hour the department, assisted by a number of citizens, bravely battled with the threatening flames. It was necessary for the firemen to hastily put holes in the post office floor in five places, and water was poured in volume on the seething furnace below... The hotel office and basement and Penrod's Store in the south room were flooded with water and the contents damaged by smoke. The post office which is in the north room seemed in danger for a time, and streams of water gave the (illegible word) a good drenching. However, (illegible) the basement had been entered by cutting through the floor, it was not until the smoke gave way to steam. The office had just been closed for the day, the safe was carefully locked, and no real damage resulted to the mails... The loss is not heavy--not over $1000--and mostly from smoke and water. It was only the prospects of a great conflagration that was exciting. How the fire originated is a question, but probably from mice or rats lighting a match in the coal and boxes under the post office... =========================================