Woodworth House Fire01

 

WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

December 30, 1898

 

The Woodnorth House Scorched

 

            Thursday morning between five and six o’clock the P.S. Woodnorth house, occupied by Thomas Pipe and family and Mr. P.S. Woodnorth, was discovered to be on fire by some of the children waking up, hearing a cracking noise and seeing fire fall from the ceiling in the northwest corner in the chamber.  About the same time Col. Caldwell saw from his house, south of the M.E. church, the blaze shoot up from the roof, also a blacksmith who works for Jacob Nelson saw it and gave the alarm.  Before the department got out a number of men had a line of pails pouring water on the blaze, which subdued it somewhat until two streams from the hydrant were brought into play a few minutes later.  It was found the fire had got a good start between the roof and ceiling and in the cupola and it took nearly or quite a half hour to get it all out.  The roof and joist above were badly damaged and all the ceilings were so badly flooded that much of the plastering will come off. Water also made a sad plight of the carpets, bedding and bric-a-brac.  The piano was badly damaged by water.  The loss is no doubt from $1,200 to $1,500, which is covered by insurance in the London and Globe, N.L. White’s agency.  The fire caught from an over heated chimney, which burned out the evening previous.  It was fortunate that it did not catch in the night when all were sleeping soundly, and further lucky, that the morning was warm and no wind.