Hotel Iowa Lost to Fire in Cunningham
A defective flue causes a blaze that destroys the Hotel Iowa and nearly spreads to the rest of the town, which lacks fire protection.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Hotel Iowa, at Cunningham, was destroyed by fire last Friday morning. It originated in a defective flue. The direction of the wind alone saved the remainder of the town, as it is entirely without fire protection. The hotel was just about to change hands, Mrs. Huston, the proprietress, having about given the house over to J. A. Campbell. The invoice had been completed but the payment had not been made. Mr. Campbell had moved in some of his furniture and would have had possession that day. The losses included W. R. Cunningham ($1500), Mrs. Huston, and several others who lost clothing and furniture. It was with difficulty that the homes of H. S. Snead and John Newton were saved.
“The direction of the wind alone saved the remainder of the town, as it is entirely without fire protection.”
This account highlights the extreme vulnerability of rural Washington towns during the early 1900s, where a single defective chimney could wipe out a town's primary lodging and business infrastructure due to lack of basic fire services.
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