Fire: Lusk Business District Consumed by Fire
Tailor Shop and Cigar Store Are Totally Destroyed Though Stocks are Saved; Occupants of Faust Building Expect to Leave Homes—Pack up Belongings
The business section of Lusk was threatened by fire early Tuesday morning, when the old Goddard property now owned by the Lusk Development Company, burned.
The fire was discovered about 1:30 o’clock. The building is a story and a half frame structure, covered with iron. The blaze started on the second floor, presumably from a defective flue.
The firemen found it a very difficult job fighting the flames due to the fact that the sides had been filled in with sawdust when the building was covered with iron sheeting. The shingles under the iron on the roof burned rapidly before the iron roofing could be torn off. Although not completely burned the building is a total wreck.
The Nowack tailoring establishment and Mrs. Stirk’s candy and cigar store, the business enterprises occupying the ground floor were able to get most of their stock out, therefore lessening the loss. The Faust building on the next lot was in grave danger. This is one of the largest business buildings in Lusk. On the first floor is the post office, Garden theatre, and the store building, just vacated by the Lusk Auto Equipment company.
Besides the Faust dance hall, on the second floor are a large number of office rooms and apartments. The people occupying apartments in this building got busy packing up and were ready to move out if the flames spread to that structure.
On Tuesday morning the burned building looked like an ice palace and the pavement and street were likewise coated.
Citizens of Lusk are becoming accustomed to hearing the fire alarm this winter. This was the second call since the new alarm system has been used and all people living in district No. 2 were soon up when the blasts were sounded.