Unknown Newspaper Alexander, Genesee Co. NY Sunday, November 11, 1917 Alexander Blaze Hit Village Hard - All except one building in the business section gone-Loss of $75,000-Ten structures, including Star Roller Mills, with 7,000 bushels of wheat, destroyed. With the exception of one building, the garage of REHORN & MENSING, the entire business section of Alexander was wiped out by fire last night. Ten separate structures, including three bars, were destroyed and the total estimated loss is placed by prominent residents of the village at upwards of $75,000. The origin of the fire is not definitely known, but it is believed to have been started from spontaneous combustion in the basement paint shop of Frank WINKLEMAN. Today the little village of Alexander was a smoking ruin and scores of autoists were arriving from all sections of the county to see the havoc that had been wrought. Only the tall chimney that ran from the ground through the roof of the Star Roller Mills remained standing to mark the spot where the people of Alexander had been used to come to transact their business. From the semi-business building of Frank WINKLEMAN, at the south side of the business section, on the road leading to Attica, to the eastern end of the line of stores, on the road leading to the railroad station, there were only the charred and smoldering debris. Alexander's loss was complete, so far as the facilities of trade and general business was concerned and the financial loss will be only partially met by insurance. Today Alexandrians had no place in their village at which to purchase even the things they needed to eat. Frank WINKLEMAN discovered the fire in his basement, after being aroused by a resident of Attica, George BEAVER, who had come to visit him. Mr. WINKLEMAN maintains a cooper and paint shop in the basement of his house and had stored there a large quantity of paints, oils, etc. He also kept his automobile there. He and his wife had spent yesterday visiting friends in Alabama and reached home again about 8 o'clock in the evening. They were tired and made preparations to retire at once. A few minutes after 9 o'clock, when Mr. BEAVER arrived, and aroused Mr. WINKLEMAN, both men smelled smoke. They attempted to enter the basement, but were driven back by a sudden rush of flame that seemed to break out with the opening of the basement stair door=or. They ran to the second floor to summon Mrs. WINKLEMAN and were unable to descend the stairs again to the first floor to leave the house, as the downstairs was already enveloped in flames. All three left the house by a second-story window, climbing onto the roof of another building and thence finding their way into the street, where they gave a general alarm of fire. Their arms, hands and faces were slightly burned before they made their escape. Wind fanned the flames- With such fury did the WINKLEMAN house burn that it was a mass of flames before any help arrived. The wind blew the flames towards the meat market of Charles ZWETSCH and across the wide driveway which led from the road to the Star Roller Mills, which was recently purchased by J. Ray TOTTEN of Rochester from F. M. RICHARDS, now of Batavia. The big mills contained about 7,000 bushels of wheat. The mills, however, did not catch fire until the flames were beginning to consume the barbershop of Walter WHITNEY and the Alexander post office, which were in front of the mills. Besides the equipment of the post office, including stamps, etc., the contents of the little novelty store in the same building, which Postmaster MOULTON also conducts, were destroyed. Alexander people early saw that it would be a hopeless task to conquer the flames and devoted their efforts to rescuing property from the burning buildings. The meat market of Charles AZWETSCH, which was the second building to become a prey to the flames, was destroyed when the general store of his brother, George ZWETSCH, took fire. Most of the contents of this store had been removed by the rescue party when the building finally caught. About this time a telephone call was received by Fire Chief MCBRIDE of the Batavia Fire Department. Daniel E. HARRINGTON, a resident of the village, summoned assistance from Attica first and then from Batavia, and although the former place is only three miles distant and Batavia eight miles away, the Batavia department made an extraordinary run, had their equipment unloaded and were at work when the Attica fire fighters reached the village. - - - - - - - - - - Submitted by Kathy Helmer Kathle7297@aol.com