WORST JACKSON FIRE IN 35 YEARS GUTS THE CENTRAL HOTEL (75 YEARS AGO)

Thursday, March 1, 1923; Page 1

Reprinted from The Southeast Missourian

Editor's note: The Central Hotel was located on West Main Street in the block now occupied by City Hall.

JACKSON -- The most serious fire experienced in Jackson in 35 years swept the Central Hotel building this morning at 1 o'clock, completely gutting the second and third stories of the three-story brick building, and reducing to ashes practically all the hotel fixtures and furniture. Only to the most heroic work on the part of the fire department, and the fact that there was but little wind at the time, is due the confining of the fire to the one building, which stands in close proximity, in fact, is joined to other buildings.

The first floor of the hotel building is occupied by G.B. Miltenberger's general mercantile business. The fire did not reach the lower floor, but the entire stock of goods was ruined by water.

The hotel was operated by G.O. Smith, who purchased the fixtures from Mrs. Burford on March 22, 1922.

The first floor of the annex is occupied by the Peoples National Bank, who owns the entire building. The second floor of the annex served as parlors for the hotel. This part of the building is not damaged much, and the bank opened for buisness as usual Thursday morning.

Insurance covers all loss so far as could be ascertained this morning. The total loss is about $50,000.

Not since April 17, 1888, when "Battle Row" burned, has there been a fire of consequence on the public square. The Central Hotel stands about in the center of the north side of the block west of the public square and faces West Main Street. The buildings known as "Battle Row," which burned in 1888, stood almost directly opposite the Central.

When the alarm was turned in at 1 a.m., twenty-three persons occupied beds in the Central. Eighteen of these were guests. It required a good deal of hard work to arouse all of them and get them safely out of the building. Several of them made their escape by rope fire escapes, among them being Mrs. John P. Mabrey, who fell a short distance and sprained an ankle. None of the other guests, nor the hotel help or the proprietor or his family were injured. The guests were in a sorry plight, as there was no other hotel in the city to go to, but they were all taken care of otherwise.

The Central was built by Tom Bast more than 30 years ago, and since that has undergone many changes, and was in the hands of various owners, until finally the Peoples National Bank took it over several years ago, while the late Judge Wm. B. Schaefer was its president.

Fireman Overcome

During the fire last night. F.A. Schneider, member of the volunteer fire department, was overcome by smoke while handling a fire hose in the building, but he was removed from the building and was soon revived.

The fire department under Chief Charles Steck did some fine work last night, and the water works functioned perfectly, giving all the pressure that was needed. Several lines of hose were run to the building and there was no hitch whatever at any time.

The origin of the fire is undetermined, but it started in the kitchen or its proximity, as could be seen when the fire department arrived on the scene.