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Show BIG FIRE II : GROCERY STORE : A fire which was discovered in the , basement of the Peterson & Langlol.; grocery store, at the corner of Twcn- j ty-fourth street and (.Irani avenue, ( shortly after 5 o'clock last evening, caused damage estimated at fl.ouo. 1 For a time the flames periled the Sl-v j Ono stocK of groceries and the new brick block owned by Thomas Broth-' i ers. The fact that the fire was discovered discov-ered Just before the store was closed for the night probably saved Ode-n one of the most serious conflagrations in the history of the city. With a northern cale to fan the flames, it is Impossible to estimate the result had the fire uot been confined to Ihe room lu which it originated With the fire augmented by several gallons of gasoline which flowed from a tank at the very seal of the blaze, the firemen are deserving of great credit for having conquered the flames without a greater property loss The origin of the fire has not been definitely determined. Carl K Peterson, Peter-son, a member of the grocery firm. Is of the opinion l hat it was due to defective de-fective electrical wiring on the celling of the basement Chief Canfleld believes, be-lieves, however, that the fire oilgl-I oilgl-I naicd from a match or cigar stub thrown on the floor. He la positive that the blaze started near the floor and burned the supports sup-ports from under the gasoline tank, allowing- the highly Inflammable fluid to run out on the floor. The exact amount of gasoline in the tank cannot le determined. Mr. Peterson claims that the Uink. which was a f.O-gallon receptacle, could not have contained more than five or six gallons. ibut Chief Canfleld Is of the opinion that the tank must have contained nearer 30 gallons. The gasoline carried the flames throughout a wide area and the basement base-ment was a seething furnace whn the firemen arrived ou the scene. Several Sev-eral streams of water, together with chemicals, were trained into the basement, base-ment, nnd it was necessary to flood the large room before the fire could he extinguished ' In the hasemetil was the greater portion of the $1 5,0011 s'ock cart led by the grocery firm, and the damage to these goods by smoke and water will exceed the damace by fire. The entire en-tire first floor of the building was filled with smoke, but Ihe damage above the ground level will not be great. The building was only slightly damaged. dam-aged. Several of the wood supports were burned off, allowing the first floor to sag sllghtlv. Any loss as a result of damage to the building is completely covered by Insurance and tho loss on the stock Ib partially covered cov-ered by Insurance. Mr. Peterson stated last evening 1hat the winter stock of groceries was practically all in, and the appearanco of tho basement bore out this assertion asser-tion The slock is undoubtedly one of the largest. If not the largest, carried by any firm In the city, and the laree basement was completely filled with boxes and bales, there being scarcely room for a person to pass between the cartons of goods stocked from floor to celling. lie also stated that had the fire, not I been discovered until after the More was closed for the night he would have expected the enormous stock to be a complete loss, to sny nothing of ihe damage to tho building and fixtures. |