Source: News-Journal, March 24, 1960

Heavy Damages From Fire at Urschel Store Wednesday Afternoon

The most destructive fire in recent years in the uptown business section occurred Wednesday afternoon at the Urschel Department store. The fire started and was confined to the east room of the store, used for the curtain and drapery department and for storage of incoming merchandise. North Manchester and Chester Township firemen despite dense smoke, fought the fire from each end of the room, and confined the actual fire inside the room. Fortunately a solid wall was between the east and west rooms, and damage to merchandise in the west room is largely from smoke and possibly some water damage. Similarly damage in the shoe department and the hardware department, which is in the rear of the two front rooms, was mostly from smoke or general dampness in the building. The furnace room was below the east room, and there was no merchandise in it. In the basement of the west room was considerable merchandise, linoleum, etc., which was damaged by water draining down from above.

The store is closed today and insurance adjusters were expected to arrive this morning. Fortunately, when it was feared the fire might spread, Harold Urschel penetrated the smoke filled office area and rescued invoices, account books and other records. Thus it will not be difficult to arrive at an accurate estimate of the amount of stock destroyed in the east room.

The cause of the fire is not known definitely. L.P. Urschel had been in the room a few minutes earlier, and then had gone to the bank. Virgil Sites, a clerk, also had been in the room about fifteen minutes earlier and there was no sign of fire. The fire when first discovered was in merchandise on a table and was blazing. Mr. Sites called the fire department at once.

When the firemen arrived with the first truck, connection was made with the fire hydrant on the south side of the street, and while one hose was manned from the front, firemen with another line entered the west room, went into the shoe room, and fought the flames from the doorway at the rear of the east room. They were hampered by the dense smoke, and had to be relieved frequently. By keeping low to the floor, and back of the stream of water, they managed to stick it out.

In the meantime the other fire truck and the Chester truck were summoned. The town truck was stationed in position at the Walnut Street hydrant and with two 2½ inch lines attached to the hydrant, pumped two streams of water. One was to the Chester truck, which was stationed near the store, and the Chester truck then pumped into two 1½ inch lines, thus maintaining a high pressure for the fire fighters. Another line of 2½ inch hose was strung from the old town truck to the alley back of the buildings, and two 1½ inch lines were connected and used to fight the fire threatening in the second story. A line of 2½ inch hose was taken to the roof at the front of the building, but it was not needed and the water was not turned on.

With the equipment available, and extra lines of hose in readiness, the firemen were well prepared to battle the fire had it burned into the Auto Parts Store to the east, or reached the west room. Seldom in a fire of this kind has a major fire been confined to the room in which it started. In most cases the fire burned through walls to adjoining stores.

Artie Lowman, one of the town firemen, was overcome with smoke but did not leave the scene of the fire. He had gone with the first line of hose to the rear of the burning room, where the smoke was the most dense. He was relieved by Orville Vandermark, and a little later Norval Faurote, Jr., who had donned a smoke mask, relived Vandermark. By that time township firemen also were at work with two lines of hose and were of material help.

Electric service was disconnected as a safety precaution. Later it was partially restored, and a sump pump started pumping water from the basement. The transom glass above the windows and doors of the east room had been broken to allow smoke to get out, and this was closed by carpenters before nightfall. The fire was discovered shortly before two o'clock, and it was brought under control an hour or so later.

In a major fire there is always a time when it is a question whether the fire can be brought under control or whether it will spread. Fearing the possibility of it spreading, Fire Chief Paul Abbott had a call for help radioed to the Wabash fire department. A truck was sent, escorted by a car from the sheriff's department, but the fire was out before the Wabash crew arrived. Nonetheless the helpful gesture was appreciated.

At one time it looked as though the fire would burn into the room above. At the north end of the room, it had started to burn through, but was stopped at that point by the firemen below, and firemen who had come in over the one story roof from the back, and through windows drenched the floor of the second story room. A hole was cut in the roof as a precaution in case the fire reached the area between the sloping roof and the ceiling of the second story room.

L.P. Urschel has been in business in North Manchester since 1905, and it was the first time a major fire had occurred in his place of business. A few years ago there was a minor fire at Christmastime, but the damage was slight. The east room was formerly owned by Daniel Sheller, who operated a grocery and bakery. Later it was occupied for several years by A. & P. store. After the A. & P. store was discontinued, Mr. Urschel and his son, Harold, did considerable remodeling, and converted the rear of both rooms into the hardware department.

Oddly enough it was the wall between the two rooms that stopped the further spread of the American House fire in 1883. Jesse Tyler and J.M. Cook had built four brick store rooms to the east, including the Urschel east room, the Auto Parts Store, the Smith Sundries store and the Faurot grocery. The American House, "L" shaped, occupied the Walnut Street corner, fronting about 80 feet on Main Street, and fifty or sixty feet north on Walnut. Everything burned down to the wall of the Tyler & Cook buildings, the west wall of which was the wall between the east and west rooms of the Urschel store.

Source: News-Journal, March 24, 1960

L.P. Urschel Fell Into Grating Hole

L.P. Urschel was injured Wednesday afternoon when he stepped into an open grating hole while the fire was being fought at the Urschel store. Firemen had removed the grating preparatory to laying a line of hose to the basement if necessary. Mr. Urschel was watching efforts to remove some of the merchandise through the front doorway, and stepped backward into the hole. An instant later Leon Ritenour, one of the firemen jumped into the hole and other firemen placed a ladder in the opening. Mr. Ritenour then lifted Mr. Urschel up the ladder until others above could reach him.

At first it was thought his injuries were serious. He was bleeding from abrasions on his head and cheek. He was assisted into the Marks Drug Store and a doctor and ambulance were called. After being given preliminary attention, he insisted he could walk to a car rather than use the ambulance, and was taken to the doctor's office. Later he was taken to his home, where again he insisted he was not injured seriously, and rested in a chair rather than in bed. Mr. Urschel is 88 years old, and could have been critically hurt.

Source: News-Journal, March 28, 1960

Urschel Store To Reopen Soon

The Urschel Store has been closed since the fire last Wednesday afternoon that gutted the stock room, and caused some moisture and smoke damage throughout the store. It is hoped to have the store open the latter part of the week, as soon as adjustment of the loss can be completed by insurance firms. L.P. Urschel, who was injured when he fell through an open grating hole, was more familiar with the dry goods invoices than was the son, Harold, and for that reason the loss adjustment was not hurried until he was able to return to the store. He was at the store for a short time Saturday, and is meeting with adjusters again today.

The stock of goods in the east room is probably a total loss from the fire and water that was poured into the room to confine the fire to that room. However smoke and moist air penetrated the entire building, and condition of the merchandise is yet to be determined. Late Wednesday afternoon and evening, the water in the basement was pushed into the furnace pit, and a sump pump was used to pump out the water. By 7:00 it was possible to start the furnace, and heat in the building helped much in drying out the store.