Murphy Drug Store02

Waupaca County News

January 7, 1926

FIRE MONDAY NIGHT

STOCK OF A.J. MURPHY DRUG STORE COMPLETE LOSS

STATE BANK IS DAMAGED

Henry Rasmussen, Fireman, Has Close Call from Electrocution

Drug Store Damage Nearly $9,000

Damage to Building Nearly $5,000

At 10:00 o’clock Monday night fire was discovered in the basement of the building occupied by the Farmers State Bank and the A.J. Murphy Drug Store. The fire department was on the scene almost at once, but found themselves confronted with one of the most stubborn fires that the city has had in years. The blaze was in the basement to which there was no back entrance, and on account of the smoke and fire fumes it was impossible to get into the basement from inside the building.

In order to get at the fire it was necessary to work from above. The small basement windows were knocked out, holes cut in the floor and for over 2 hours four streams of water was played into the building before the flames were gotten under control. Just how the fire started is unknown.

Henry Rasmussen, one of the firemen, entered the basement in an attempt to locate the fire, and was later found by other members of the department, in an unconscious condition. He had come into contact with two electric wires, one being in his hands and the other under his chin. He was taken t the Christofferson Hospital where physicians worked over him for about two hours before he regained consciousness. He was out again the next day, little the worse for his close call to death.

The Murphy drug stock is a complete ruin, the work of smoke, heat and water. The loss to Mr. Murphy is estimated at about $9,000, with about 80 per cent insurance. Mr. Murphy will reopen for business just as soon as possible.

The damage done to the Farmers State Bank is placed at about $1,000, fully covered by insurance. It was mostly due to steam, water and smoke. A hole was cut in the tile floor in order to get at the fire. Although things were a bit mussed up Cashier Harry Rawson and the other employees of the bank opened the doors the next morning and business was carried on as usual. The heating plant was put out of commission for a few days.

The Hoffman optical parlors which is owned by the Richard Lea estate is placed at about $5,000. The entire basement will have to be rebuilt and a new floor placed in the drug store besides a large amount of other work, such as painting, varnishing, etc.

Hundreds of people were downtown to see the fire. Only once did the flames break forth, so they could be seen, but they were quickly gotten under control but for close to three hours, volumes of black smoke and steam poured from the building. It was thought for a while that the building would be completely ruined.