OCR Text |
Show Mysterious Cuufiagrattoii. Duly a few days ago the Herald's : Eastern correspondence called attention atten-tion to the magnificent store of M. I). Wells it Co,, corner of Madison and Market sts., Chicago. Built in about thirty days at a cost of ninety thousand dollars. It was truly a marvel of architccturil beauty and completeness. Four stories, and a basement extending under the side-way side-way on both fronts, tilled from first floor to last with stock in trade. The stock was insured for ?'J 10,000; the house for $ijO,000; the fixtures and machinery for $3,000; making a total of :'I3,0ih i. This fine palace of trade was burned to the ground on Monday, June 1st. How the tire originalc-d remains a mystery, and although Bcvcn engines were playing upon the building, and a hook and ladder company com-pany were upon the roof, all 'bat could be done, and that witli difficulty, diffi-culty, wae to save the surrounding stores. And yet the store was considered con-sidered nearly lire-proof. When Mr. Benedict, of tho firm, chaperoned u through it a few weeks ago, it seemed almost impossible that such a building build-ing caild become a prey lo the flames; but it has. And the whole aiUir remains a mystery. The queer supposition of greased cloths, uaod by the workmen, beiD? piled hi a heap and effecting spontaneous com-, bustion, is too absurd for consideration. considera-tion. The firm claim a loss of 0U,-000 0U,-000 if they receive all of their insurance, insur-ance, which ia slightly doubtful. J |