Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-14
THERE WERE NO FIREBUGS.

Cause OF the LawrenceviIle Fires sstisfscs
toriIy ExpIained-One Started by Cigar
Stump-Another by Piece of Clothing
Falling in Stove.
Notwithstanding various reports to the
contrary, the loss by fire at Thirty-fourth
street and Penn avenue yesterday morning
swill fall below $4,000 In Yesterdays
DISPATCH the loss, figured within an hour
after the fire was discovered, was fixed at
SIS, 900, and when the final totals are COM
pleted this estimate will be found nearly
correct. The mysterious rumors of incen-
diarism were traced down yesterday and
found to have little or no foundation
1t was established beyond doubt that
the blaze originated in a small shed
on Thirty-fourth street, 20 feet in the rear
of G. w. Teas drugstore. Mr.. Tea used
this building for the storage of empty
boxes, barrels and waste paper. No fire or
light of any kind is ever used in it, no
benzine or other combustible fluid was kept
in it at any time, and no explosion occurred
in it during the fire as has been reported.
The origin of the fire, according to the
belief of more than dozen persons whose
opinions should have weight, is that some
careless smoker threw either match or
cigar stump against the rear of the shed in
rear of Teas store, and that it was famed
by the high wind blowing at the time and
carried into the shed through a crack be-
tween the boards. This theory is
strengthened by the fact that the
corner on which the shed is located
was a fayorite loafng place for men,
who stopped there to light cigars
VIM. Gardner, secretary of the Peoples
Insurance Co., visited the scenes of the fire
yesterday and made an investigation. He
said last evening, "We are interested in the
loss of the Citizens Traction Co., and
in my investigation to-day / found no rea-
son to charge the fire to incendiaries."
Fire Marshal McFadden, has not vet
made an investigation of the origin of the
fire but will this morning. He has not been
notified of any incendiary suspicious. Sup
erintendent of Police Weir said last night
that his police had satisfied themselves that
there was no ground for suspecting anyone
of setting fire to the buildings Chief
: sHumphries also investigated the matter and
was of the same opinion.
The losses incurred by the fire were as fol-
lows. figures being given by the owners: A.
NJ. Krut, 3402 Penn avenue, wagon shop,
81, 900, and stock, machinery, ect, So, 900;
Citizens Traction Co., No. 3406, $4,000 ON
office furniture, fixtures etc; G. w. Tea,
No 34OO, not over 1000 on building, house.
hold goods and store, possibly less; j. j.
Slattery, first floor, No. 34OS, pool room,
S400; Wildwood Dairy, first floor, No. 3404,
stock and fixtures, $500; Mrs. Bats, three
upper floors, No 3408, boarding house, $500.
Ali the above losses are fully covered by
insurance, except Mrs. Bats and Slattery.
The insurance companies interested ap-
pointed a committee yesterday to investi-
gate the losses.
There is considerable indignation among
the people at the forks of the road, where
the fire occurred. on account of Krut's
building. They say Krut's shop, which
was three stories high and 26x120 feet in
size, was built entirely of rough boards and
not even lined. They say, and Krut him
self admitted, that the building permit was
secured last spring for political services
rendered by him in the spring election. He
saws he intends to apply for a permit for
another wooden building on the same site.
The kitchen in the rear of Frank
Soevyn's tailor shop. No. 2607 Penn avenue,
was slightly damaged by fire at o'clock
Yesterday morning. An alarm was sent in,
but the engines were all on duty at the
Thirty-fourth street fire and Mr.. Soevyn ex-
tinguished the blaze with few buckets of
water. A report was published that the
fire was of incendiary origin, but Chief
Humphries made an investigation, which
showed that an article of clothing which had
been hanging on line fell off on the
kitchen stove and ignited. The loss was
trihing.