| Show i DESTRUCTIVE BLAZE It Ruins Three Buildings and Damages Half a Dozen OthersAn Aggregate Ag-gregate LOSS of 833000 Coalter 8 Snelgrore Lose Everything Pembrokes Heavy LossDwyers Fortunate Escape Some Good Work Done by the Fire Department De-partment The Scene of the Conflagration By far the most destructive fire that has occurred in this city since the terrible terri-ble Clawson conflagration was that which at a late hour last night started in the upper story of the store occupied by Coalter Snelgrove on Main street and spread south to Cunningtons corner and north to Asmussens jewelry store Just how the fire was started will probably never be known but it is evident that it originated in a room used by Helds band in the middle part of the top floor I of the building in question I Two bakers who were employed in the rear of the California Bakery seem to have been the first to discover the flames though the general alarm was soon started by some one who must have seen the blaze from the front part of the building build-ing The attention of the two men in question was first attracted by a CRASH OF GLASS And as one of them ran out he saw that the rear end of the Coalter building was in flames and that the noise he had heard was caused by one of the back windows falling out This man I whose name was Englin gave the alarm to his fellowbaker J D Kelley and it I was not long before they had a stream I playing on the flames from a little garden gar-den hose in the rear of their shop The effect of this however was not perceptible percepti-ble and the intent was the only good in it itIn In the meantime the blaze had shot up over the tops of the surrounding buildings and it was not long before LOUD CRIES OF FIRE Pierced the air and were heard over a mile away The fire was first discovered at about 11 30 oclock and notwithstanding notwithstand-ing the fact that it was only a block away from the Firemens Hall the alarm was not sounded until about 11 50 Long before be-fore this there was an immense crowd on the ground and before the fire engine had started for the scene the surrounding stores had been broken into and dozens of men and boys were busily carrying out goods Some brave attempts were made to get some of the stock from the music store in which the fire started but those who were daring enough to enter WERE DRIVEN BACK By a stream of smoke which poured in from the back and carried before it hot flashes of fire Dwyers store was probably the first to be entered as it appeared to be in the most immediate danger The showcases containing the more costly goods were carried across the street into the Pacific Express Office where they were out of danger and the books toys and other goods were soon all dumped into a conglomerate con-glomerate mass in front of the office mentioned men-tioned The greater part of this work had been done before the bells were bounded and before the crowd had attained at-tained such massive proportions But when at last the alarm was rung people looked out of their windows to seeTHE see-THE SKY ABLAZE With the reflection of the flames and to see flash after flash of fire leap into the air It was then that the crowd began to swell People poured onto Main street from every direction and inside of half an hour the street was crowded with men women and children most of whom stayed to see it out Prior to this time the flames had con fined themselves to the rear and upper part of the store in which they started but now the smoke rolled over the front of the building and as the flames came out through the front door it was seen that the store was a complete run At about this time the FIRE WAS AT ITS WORST And for half an hour there seemed little hopes of saving anything between the corner and Asmussens The roof of Dwyers store was a mass of flames and to all appearances the upper story of Cunningtons building was slowly being consumed The smoke and flames broke out to the > north Pembrokes upper story and roof were all ablaze and while the flames extended only a few rods north there was a suspicious stream of smoke pouring from the cornice of every building on that half the block All that was needed to start the entire row was a little air which fortunately enough was not supplied The flames however broke out briskly at the end of the cornice in question and the blaze flickered for a moment against the fireproof fire-proof walls of Asmussens store A splash of water was enough for this and the hose was soon playing on the main blaze LOUD COMPLAIKTS Were heard on every side because the firemen seemed to be directing their at tention to that part of the property already al-ready beyond redemption and neglecting the adjoining blocks I Soon alter the fire started the report I went round that there were explosives in the Cunnington store and for some time the crowd steered shy of the corner but upon being reassured that the powder had all been removed the people again flocked around At about half past twelve oclock A STREAM FROM THE REAR Was gotten to play upon the flames and it was no doubt this that saved the roof of Dwyers store and prevented the flames from spreading to the north It was soon found however that the hose was too short and it was not until a de lay of another half hour that a good steady stream was running from the hy drant on the south side of Cunningtons around through the alleyway and on top of the burning houses The workers in the rear were kept busy during the en tire evening and did a good share of the I work which led to the final extinction Among those foremost on the rear end of the burning store was Officer Bill Calder who worked like a trooper with axe and hose In the meantime the flame was get I ting in its work on the front part of the building The elevated fronts of lath I boards and plaster which were used as sign WERE ALL ABLAZE And it was in this part that the flame was last seen In the mean time however how-ever the fire had done its deadly work in the interior of Coalter Snelgroves Pembrokes and the upper story of Solomon Solo-mon Bros Golds store The water pouring on the roof and in through the i i doors below had confined the flames to I I narrow limits but within these limits i i the fiend reigned supreme and did its work of devastation and left no board unI J touched II From about 1230 the direction of the I blaze was northward and it was after I that time that the greatest damage was = done Pembrokes and SolomonsWhile the hose was playing on the Coalter building the partition wall fell through into Pembrokes store and the flames followed after it The stream of water thrown in to extinguish this ruined the entire stock of goods but prevented their burning The fire was now confined to the interior in-terior of Coalters store the upper story of Pembrokes and the space between the ceiling and the roof of Solomons store and was burning briskly when the SECOND STREAM FROM THE REAR Came pouring down upon it and did its work It was then nearly 1 oclock and it became apparent that the firemen were master of the situation Three steady streams were pouring in from different I dif-ferent directions and by 1 oclock the fire was practically out There was still a flickering along the signfronts but this was mastered with the axe and water The stream was kept playing upon the mouldering wood until about2 30 oclock and the last puff of smoke had then disappeared dis-appeared TIlE SCENE OF THE CONFLAGRATION The scene of the fire as viewed this morning is one of devastation and ruin The entire interior of Coalter Snel groves store from the roof to the cellar is burned out beyond redemption Atone At-one side of the store the charred remains of an upright piano are still standing and the remains of instruments music books and fixtures are seen scattered all about The stock carried by this firm was estimated to be worth about 8000 and the only insurance they car cried was a policy for 2000 The firm has just started out and the loss of their entire stock will be a fearful blow to them The upstairs apartments of this store were occupied by Held the engraver en-graver and Anderson Bros the sign writers The loss to these parties is small The building was owned by Jas Dunne of Provo and was valued at about 5000 Whether or not it was insured in-sured cannot yet be learned PEMBROKES LOSS The fact that the flames at first ap peared to be working toward the corner seems to have prevented the work of get i ting out Pembrokes goods In fact it at first looked as though it would not be touched but at last it came in for the heaviest damage of all Mr Pembrokes stock was valued at 12000 and there is hardly enough of it left to be worth mentioning men-tioning What the fire didnt touch was ruined by water The building was also owned by Mr Pembroke and was valued at about 5000 He carried an insurance of 2000 on his building and 3000 on the stock The insurance altogether will cover something over the loss to the build ing His entire loss will therefore reach close on to 8000 SOLOMON BROS 1 GOLD The store occupied by this firm was damaged by water though the ceiling of the upper floor was completely ruined half of it having fallen and the other half having swayed down so far that it cannot be raised Mr Solomon places the loss of his firm at 2000 They carry no insurance but are doing a good business and think they can soon recover re-cover The building together with the next which is occupied by G W Davis belongs to C M Donelson who places the loss upon both at about 600 which is covered by insurance DWYERS AND DAVIS The two stores on the extreme ends of the fire maintained but slight losses As stated above all Dwyers goods were removed re-moved in good time and allowing for damage to them and what few articles may have been stolen the loss will not be over 300 Mr Dwyer carries an insurance in-surance of 1500 on his stock so he actually loses nothing The damage to Mr Davis stock of groceries gro-ceries is slight with no insurance Some damage was done to the store occupied by John Daynes just north of Solomons but this is slight The store is owned by Henry Dinwoodey and is uninsured RESUME It will be seen by the above figures that the entire loss will aggregate about 33000 and that only about 7000 of it is covered by insurance The firemen were very tardy but this is probably the fault of the city authori ties who will not furnish motive power for the engine and carts But after they got there they did good work They braced up to the flames as close as was necessary and the result of their work proves that their efforts were well directed di-rected TIlE INSURANCE I Since the above was in type S W I Darke Co the insurance agents have kindly firnished us the following facts relative to the insurance on the buildings burned The figures will be seen to co incide with those above but the names of the agents upon which the policies are drawn will be of general interest Darke Co carry 2000 on Coalter Snelgroves stock They have no other insurance Darke Co carry 2000 and Grant Co carry 1000 on Pembrokes stock Darke Co carry 2000 on Pem brokes building Grant Co carry 500 on the Coalter Snelgrove building Owned by James Dunne A 1000 policy upon the same expired very recently Grant Co carry 500 on Johnsons printing material and medicines which were destroyed in the upper story of the Pembroke building Smedley carries 1500 on Dwyers building and Grant carries some on the Donelson stores |
