Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-30
muoH nAmAGE RY WATER.

A Slight Blaze I'm she Fourth Story of
 the Wholesale Coffee and Spice
 Warehouse of Coburn < Company
 On state Street-Damage By Water
 Between s4,OO0 and $5,OOO.
 The wholesale tea, coffee and spice ware house of Coburn & Company at Nos. 195 and 197 State street was damaged by fire and
 water last evening to the amount of $4,000
 or &, ,009.
 The blaze broke out in the fourth story. Smoke was seen coming from the windows about 2 o'clock, and alarm box No. 23 was sounded. By the time the fire department arrived, smoke was rolling pretty thiokly from the upper windows. A long extension
 ladder was run up to the fourth story and
 half dozen dremen rushed up and into the ! dense smoke with hand extinguishers. The
 lower doors were broken open and e line of
 hose was carried through the interior of the
 building to the upper floor.
 The four stories, attic and cellar of the
 building were stored with teas, coffees,
 spices and all kinds of grocers' supplies. The blaze had originated among pile of coffee bags and tea chests which stood nearly over
 a coffee roaster upon the third floor. It was difficult work for the firemen to tell when they had completely stamped out the fire. Bags of coffee and chests of tea were thrown hither and thither and each one seemed to have a spark of flame in it. The water which was poured upon the
 smoulderipg piles began to drip through the
 floors and soon poured down in streams. All
 of the extensive stock on the floors beneath
 was exposed to it. Probably third of this
 was damaged by the falling water. The need of an efficient insurance patrol l was never more fully demonstrated than at that place. Ample time was given for com pletely covering the whole stock upon the | floors beneath the blaze and thus saving 1t | from the drenoing which it received. All of
 the stock was of kind which was rendered 1 well nigh useless by being exposed to any ! amount of water.
 The firm of Coburn & Company is com posed of William E. F.Coburn and Riley R. Pol-
 mister. Coburn was telegraphed for and | came upon the scene in time to see his neat l establishment drenched by water. He told a COURIER man that the stock which he had in the building was valued at about $26, 5000. This was about the amount of stock that the l firm usually carried. When asked if he thought the damage would reach $5, ,000, he l hoped that it would not. The insurance which the firm carried upon it's stock | amounted to $10,000. Of this amount v T.
 McNeil & Company had $1 ,500, and the rest 1 was borne by the agency of J. G. 6 J. O. North.
 The building in which the fire occurred be- | longs to the Joseph Sheffield estate. About l three years ago it suffered from a large fire.
 Last nights blaze did little damage to the | structure.
 After tne fire had been nearly extinguished | the Bremen began to throw old coffee bags half burned and other combustibles from the fourth story windows into the street. Some | of this was burning when thrown out and it
 soon msde big pile in the street below. The odor of burning coffee and spices filled the
 air. A large crowd stood in the streets, blockading everything, and extended down 1 past the watering tank at the junction of George street.