The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-01-01
A lMiO-iKl5ilNlING lMi-il5illING BLAZE.
The yariety'ESore OF Q. L Holden
Badly Damaged by Fire.
The Origin OF the Blaze and the Loss
The Fire Department Does Excellent
Work.

At 4;05Etbis morning q still alarm of fire
was turned in and in few moments the
flremen we're at the scene OF the confla-
grafton, c. T.. Holden's variety store at
No. 70 South Market street.
When the fireIdepartment arrived the
whole interior OF the large store seemed
to be mass Of flame. An entrance WIS
made at the rear of the building and
though the smoke was so dense that it was
almost impossible for any one to enter the
building, the fire was soon under CONTROL
In the centre Of the store a hole about
eight feet square was burned through the
noor. The upper floor was also badly
damaged, the fire making its way through
the ceiling alongside the chimney. A
large safe which was standing near the
centre of the store fell through the burn
ing floor to the cellar underneath. II is
thought that the contents of the safe re.
main intact.
Mr.. Holden carried on an extensive gem
eral merchandise business, having on sale
groceries, dry goods, glass ware, tin ware,
in fact everything found in a general
store. Whilesthe fire did not burn any Of
the goods they we're more or lessdamaged
by smoke and the intense heat. A COM
parative estimate of she heat in the store
at the time the flremen arrived may be
made from the fact that eggs in a basket
in the rear OF the store were literally
cooked. The canned goods OF which a
large stock was on hand are spoiled and
the loss on,'stock will be practically total,
as few Uf the goods are salable.
The fire was caused by the peculiar con.
struction Of the chimney, which was built
from the cellar up through the center of
the building. The chimney had not been
designed for a furnace, and was but in.
differently constructed. A groove had
been built along the chimney at the first
floor, TO permit the passage OF a sill. This
sill rested against the chimney with only
one thickness of brick between il and the
flames which came from thefIrnace. The
chimney was encased with wood, hence
! smoke would not be noticed unless one
had occasion to visit the garret. The fire
no doubt started at this sill which was
burned in two. Considering the surround
ings, the inflamability Of the interior, and
the heat and smoke, the work OF the fire
department wasTemarkable.
w. w. Humphrey, manager of the store
stated TO NEWS -DEMOCRAT reporter tnlS
morning that he was unable to determine
the loss on the stock until the arrival oi
Mr.. Holden from Mineral Point. The
books will then be examined and an esti
mate made. He placed the loss approxt
mately at between $500 and $4,000. This
amount may be'decreased when the con
| dition of the carpets and other stock OIL
| the second floor can be determined.
Mr.. Pumpbrey considers the stock prac
| tically worthless. The amount of insur-
ance will cover but one.half the loss. The
building is damaged to the extent of 5000
| partially insured.
The building proper was owned by Mr.
| Wagner who lives near Akron, and thC
| improvements on the building were mad,
| by Mr.. Holden. The insurance on tho
building is 81, 500.
After the fire an elegantlunch was serv
| ed to she flremen by Mrs Anna Sipes
| whose restaurant Is in the Mathews blocl
| in Eighth street. The boys highly appre
ciate the favor and desire to return sin
cere thanks to Mrs. Sipes.