Show I SUBVEYINChTBE RUINS A Eeview of the Losses by Yesterdays Fire A LIST OF THE SUFFERERS Scott Co Itamlocton Johnson J Co Averbach For Symon Hose BurmesterAnd Others The fire of yesterday morning proved at least one thingthat the telephone is a most thorough failure as a night I fire alarm spsfum Thp fire was dis covered at about ama and itwas no t until twenty minutes later that the electric gong sounded at the Firemens Hall and even then a messenger who had been dispatched from Main Street after numerous ineffectual attempts to raise the central office was on hand almost as quickly The firemen claim they were not dilatory but were at the hydrant within two and a half minutes after being first apprizs of the fire owing however to the fact of going around by the Opera House and electric light works whereby about SCO feet of hose was used they were rather late in getting water onto the flames which were difficult to gain access to owing to the obstructions in the way in the shape of fences packing boxes and vast quantities of inflammable rubbish of all descriptions Outiide of A FEW CHRONIC GBUMBLEB8 who always manage to get in the way and hinder rather than help the firemen fire-men by gratuitous cranky suggestions and noisy demonstrations it was gen enerally conceded that after their arrival ar-rival the firemen did extreme good work especially when we consider the firetrap they had to contend with and the narrow cramped hallways in which it was impossible to work to good advantage ad-vantage Added to this was the metal roof which allowed the flames to crawl along between it and the ceiling only to breaK out at the most unexpected times and places For at least a couple of hours after THE HERALD went to press yesterday morning the firemen were kept at work on the burning ruins and it was nearly 6 oclock when the order to take up was given A tour through the buildings couple of hours later revealed some exceedingly disheartening dis-heartening scenes SPENOEB cS KIMBALL had just got their goods into shape again having evolved order out of the I chaos caused by the hurried manner in which goods had beep brought from a rear apartment and dumped on the floor of the general store Some of these goods were damaged slightly from coming in contact with water from a bursted hose that had been laid through the shoe store to the rear of the establishment lishment but the loss if any at all will not amount to more than a few dollars Up till a late hour it was thought that ELIASOHS I jewelry establishment had entirely escaped caped save from being filled with a blinding smoke which would have the effect of injuring the silverware that might be exposed The fire which had been burning fiercely at the rear of this place had been extinguished without damage save the scorching of a couple of doors Later on how ever a deluge of water came pouring ing through the ceiling and soon had increased to such an extent as to neces sitate the chopping of a hole in the floor in order that the fluid might find an cape As it is a large number of fine clocks have been damaged by water and some rich and expensive case good ruined Mr Eliason was not in a posi tion yesterday to state the amount of his losses but they will probably not exceed over 1000 and he has an insurance insur-ance policy of 5000 Over Eliasons store was the branch photograph gallery of FOX < SYMONS and here too the damage done was mainly by water which destroyed considerable con-siderable of household effects Mr and Mrs Malr and a large quantity of pictures etc A reasonable estimate of the damage done here would probably be 2000 or 250 J and on this there is an insurance of 4000 so that beyond the loss of a few days business these gentlemen are well secured Over the double stores of George M Scott Co who are by far the heaviest losers were located THE LAW OFFICES of Hoge Burmester M M Kaighn and C 0 Whittemore the Grand Army Hall which was also used by the Temple of Honor Both law offices presented a thoroughly demoralized appearance yesterday That of Mr Kaighn was one mass of mud and water destroying most of the office fixtures and damaging to a great extent the hun reds of law books in the room He estimates his loss at not ever 1000 on which there was not a dollar of insurance insur-ance L h u jaoge a Durmesier were similarly treated and these gentlemen were seen yesterday surveying the wreck and endeavonng to fish out all their property not totally destroyed They said they were insured for 1500 1200 on the law library and 300 on office furniture and fixings They thought the insurance held would coverall cover-all their losses and said Bnrmester you want to tell the public that though the collection agency has been badly scorched all bills and notes have been saved THE GRAND ARMY HALL and dining room located away in the rear were desolate looking apartments The floor covering was ruined the decorations non est and the large oil painting of General Grant which occupied occu-pied a place of honor on the north wall was scorched and blackened beyond all recognition It will be necessary to almost entirely refurnish these apartments apart-ments The repords of the department were saved Colonel Fags commander of the Post says the loss will probably reach 500 on which there was no insurance in-surance JOSLIN PARK received a most unwelcome scare as it was thought at one time the flames had enveloped their establishment and preparations were made to remove some of the valuables but a few minutes min-utes later it was found to besentlrely unnecessaryaa the flames had turned the other way otherwayw W T BATBOULD the stationer was seen at about 430 am well pleased that he had e aped from what first appeared to be almost total destruction As it was the rear of the store was merely singed and there is no doubt but that the indicion use of a small hose had something to do with helping to keep the fire fiend at bay BEHJKGTOM JOHNSON A CO I suffered considerably more than was at first imagined an inspection of their stock yesterday showed that They estimate es-timate their loss at about 20000 As before stated by far the heaviest loss falls upon OEOEQE M SCOTT 4 coin CO-in the rear of whose premises the flames started just when and exactly where will probably never be known Both stores are almost entirely gutted but even herewhere the flames raged most severelysave in the rear part the greater damage comes from water It will probably be several days before the exact amount of damage done can be ascertained Mr Anderson who placed most of the insurance says it would be the merest conjecture conjec-ture to make any statement just at present He thought however that the losses would be fully covered by the insurance THE LOSS OK THE BUILDINGS The southern half of the Scott store is owned equally by the J M Allen estate es-tate and George M Scott Co and it was not known yesterday whether the I store would be repaired or replaced by a new one It is very badly injured The north store Fox k Symons gallery and Eliasons are owned by the Auer lacbs and are all very badly damaged the latter two mainly by water It is simply foolhardy to estimate the damage dam-age done there as a proper judgment can only be obtained by a proper examination by experienced builders They appeared to be very shaky yesterday yes-terday and feara were entertained that some of the side walls would cave in The entire loss is placed at all the way from 60000 to 100000 and by hose best qualified to judge it is said it will not go over 80 000 There Is another thing that yesterdays yester-days fire should teach that is the danger of dumping and maintaining in the yards behind the stores large numbers num-bers of packing boxes and crates and vast quantities of straw and other lighly inflammable material Some means should bu taken to dIspose of these as the danger is too great to permit per-mit of the present practice being continued tinned I |