Show flTAffl144TS BURNED Work of Flames on Second South Street FIRE LIVELY FOR A TIME The Popular Restaurant Destroyed and Streets Cigar Store and Calla hans Bookstore Damaged Fire Supposed to Have Caught in Boxes in the Boar of the Buildings Though it is Also Claimed that it Started in the Bestaurant Incendiary Incen-diary suggestion Estimated Losses The very heart of town was visited by a lively though not very destructive blaze last night Three small one story frame structures from 20 to 22 East Second South street were afire and the lively flames were beginning to play havoc when the lire apparatus reached the scene Before the blaze was entirely extinguished the building and contents of the Popular restaurant were practically destroyed C E Streets cigar store was also damaged and a largo hole was eaten In the rear wall of Callnhans book store ORIGIN OF BLAZE The blaze Is said to have started In a coal bin and heap of boxes behind the Street cigar store Frank Mather a cook employed at the Popular restaurant restau-rant was attracted from his kitchen a few minutes before 9 oclock by the I crackling of fire In the wooden boxes He hurried to the back door and upon discovering the fire rushed for a bucket of water When he returned the flames had caught In the dry woodwork I wood-work and almost In an Instant the entire I en-tire back part of the place was ablaze An alarm was sounded and all in the restaurant rushed outside Ofllcer Simpson Simp-son happened to be near by and he quickly sent In an alarm to lire headquarters head-quarters QUICKLY UNDER CONTROL The apparatus was not long In travelIng travel-Ing to the place but when It reached there large flames were darting from the roof and front of the Popular restaurant res-taurant and Streets cigar store Apparently I Ap-parently the buildings were doomed The firemen made quick work of stringing string-ing two lines of hose One stream was poured on the fire from the roof of the cigar store while the other was played from below Within fifteen minutes min-utes the lire was under control In a halfhour It was practically out Some minutes later it was noticed that smoke was pouring from the keyhole key-hole of Callahans book store adjoining thd cigar store on the cast The dopi was broken In by Assistant Chief McCarthy Mc-Carthy who discovered a smoldering fire In the rear wall A few welldi rected douses of water ended Its progress pro-gress of fire In that building DANGER FROM LIVE WIRE Thousands of people were attracted by the lire and a cordon of police had difficulty In keeping people out of danger dan-ger A live wire running Into the restaurant threatened to drop to the sidewalk but fortunately for people who persisted In standing under It the wire did not drop Most of the stock was removed from Streets cigar store where the blaze started and the restaurant res-taurant people succeeded In carrying out three loins of beef before entrance to the place became dangerous There arc several theories as to how the fire originated Several people Insist that art overheated range In the Popular cafes kltcheh was responsible for It However Frank Mather the cook and J A Jacobs a pastryman who Were working In the kitchen say that the fIre began In the rear of the cigar store Both men believed the blaze to be of Incendiary origin Mather says that a moment before discovering the fire he heard someone close the back door of the cigar store Vet he believes that a lighted cigar stump thrown among the boxes might have been responsible ESTIMATES OF LOSSES J McGlll owner of the Popular rcs tnurant estimates his loss at 2000 half covered by Insurance He was to have begun moving his fixtures today to another an-other building several doors eastward D A Callahan the owner of the bookstore Is on a visit to Connecticut where ho has been for nearly a month past Ills brother E II Callahan who has charge of the business said he had no Idea as to the amount of Insurance carried or by whom it was held He believed however that the loss would bu covered several times over by the Insurance as the damage done to the stock was mainly by water and was confined to the rear end of the store It was nearly midnight before Street who was attending the circus reached lie store He said he carried about 2000 In stock on which there was 51000 Insurance It was his opinion opin-ion that his loss on stock and fixtures would bo covered several times over Ho leased the three buildings he said from Mrs J 33 Farlow mainly but W J Halloran was the agent for a few feet ife understood they wore Insured Referring to the origin of the blaze Mr Street said It could not possibly have started In his place as the backdoor back-door was locked and there was a man on watch In the front The loss to lie buildings Is almost total but as they were light structures It cannot be very gloat They are paid however to have been fully Insured |