Blaze Closes Village Bell

I A campus área restaurant was exienI sively damaged early this morning by a, I fire which city firefighters said. apparI ently started when a cooking kettle ' led dry. No dollar estímate of damage ■ was available. I A forcé of 12 city firemen manning I five pieces of equipment was led to the I Village Bell Restaurant,,1321 S. Universi ty Ave., by Battalion Chief Russell TayI lor at 5:30 a.m. When the firemen arrived ñames were shooting up through a roof at the rear of the building, they reported. The restaurant will be closed indefinitely. Fire Chief Arthur L. Stauch and Fire Marshal John R. Williams said the start of the blaze was traced to a cooking stove in a basement kitchen at the rear I of the restaurant. They said food in a large kettle on the gas stove apparently burned dry and the fire which resulted shot up a ventilating duet and thea "blossomed out" into a second kitchen on the ground level of the establishment. Cliief Stauch said although the ground level kitchen at the rear of the building was burned out the ñames did not reach the front section of the restaurant and Fire Marshal Williams said the spot where the fire started showed little actual fire damage. However, both officials said there was heavy smoke and water damage throughout the entire restaurant. Clint Castor, owner of the Village Bell, said he has no idea at present when repairs can be completed and the restau■- - - - ' rant can reopen. He said he does not know what the dollar damage will total. Castor also owns the Pretzel Bell Restaurant on E. Liberty Street, which fered extensive damage in November of I 1969 as a result of a fire next door at the I Martin Halier Furniture Store. The I píete interior of the Pretzel Bell suffered I extensive smoke and water damage, and I was closed for five months after that I fire. Assistant Fire Chief Fred Schmid said I the ñames at the Village Bell consumed I paper goods and other material in the I first floor kitchen and then burst through I ceiling tile and burned through the rear I roof of the structure. The 19 occupants of eight apartments above the restaurant were safely I evacuated from their' units when the fire i started, Chief S.tauch said. A smaller restaurant, Steve's Lunch, I and the This Is It Shop, are in the same building with the Village Bell but the I chief said neither had fire damage. Both I received some smoke and water damI age, he said. I Battalion Chief Taylor said his men I first climbed to the roof of the building I and were shooting water into the flames I but were forced to evacúate the roof I when it began to collapse under them. I When the firemen attempted to enter the I restaurant from ground level they found I a heavy steel door barring their way, I Taylor said. Pry bars had to be used to I f orce the door. J Dense smoke inside the rear part of I ■ the building hampered firefighters as I Bthey feit their way to the source of the ■ Bflame. Taylor estimated his men had the m Bfire under control about 45 minutes aíter ■ Bthey arrived on the scène. r