The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-11
WRAPPED IN FLAMES.
Hall & Lyons Drug Store Almost
Gutted by Fire This Morning.
THE CAUSE AS YET UNSETTLED.
The Loss WIN Not Exceed $4,000 anu
is Partially Covered by Insurance-ihe
Prescription Department and store
Room Completely Burned Out.

A lively blaze was discovered In Han
g, Ivon,s drug store, 203 Westminster
street, this morning, and before the hre
could be extinguished the store was
almost completely gutted
soon after six o'clock newsboy EN-
Moved by John Morris on North Main
street was passing the store and chapc-
ing to glance in through the irost
oovarad windows, was horrfiel TO see
tba rear end of the establishment
yyrapped I'm a sheet of flame, whiie smoke
was pouring into the front Oh the store III
heavy mass 5 5ia,elv ne to tbe corner of
Westminster and Eddy streets ana rang
i'm an alarm from box 232, ana In snort
time the department was at the scene anu
yicorous work was being done TO quench
the hungry hames 20 m
snonded aud with the assistance OF
Steamers and l2 and Chemical Com
many / were soon pouring water INTO Ine
very heart of the fire.
At first the fire seemed much more ex-
tensive than II Afterwards pr9vea 70 pe,
hnt n hasty examination SATISFIED the
Gremen that the blaze was confined TO
the rear end of tn store, and IL was mere
that the efforts of the men were cohceh-
trated. ar. mo
In this end Of the store was the pre-
scription department, auu the w. piaG,,
fed by the numerous chemlcals hept III
stock here, proved very obstinate anu re-
sisted the herculean labors OF the hremen
until 1t seemed as though the entire
store was doomed.
However the concentrated work soon
bepan TO tell, and after while the plaze
was gotten under control and eventually
extiapuished Mr.. Lyons, one OF the
nroprietors, was notified and was soon al
The store. He could give no estimate as
10 the extent of his loss, but stated tnat
il was very heavy ana wouid prooao.S =,
reach $4,000 or more. The damage 70
This stock is very great. and the total
damage to both the store and stock may
reach Sl5, 900 or $4,000.
Where It Started.
The fire originated in small store
room fin the rear of the establishment
directly under the prescription depart
pent which is a small room hghteu Dy
skylirht in the rear af the store. 1h
ORIGIN and cause of the blaze is not as ye
determined, but it is thought that IL wa
caused either by an electric hght wlr
coming in contant with the WOODWORK,
from n pile of waste paper In the store
room. The opinions are divided on this
boweyer. but the fact still remains that
fire had control OF the store Tor severa
minutes. a,
rle heaviest uaUldSc was SOhhHN w s.s
store room, in which the blaze originated
and TO the rear of the store. In the stor
room the partitions are nearly Durhe
through aud every square lnch Oh W9ou
work is badly charred. "A large stock
neyyIv-arriyed drugs and general SUI
niles were stored in this rooi
and were all totally destroyed
Several cases OF cigars were rune
ard about $500 worth OF cand
which had but just arrived was tot'
loss. In the prescription department
directly over the store room, everSInti,,
was in state of chaos. Broken pottls
and graduates strewed the floor, and owe
all. like tie smoke of battlefiel
lowered strange subtle odor product
NV the burning OF numerous chemical
drugs and fluid extracts. On shelf
this department numerous Dottles COZ
tanning those mysterious compoun.
that assist in the preparation OF meo
ciues reposed, the bottles blackened py u
smoke, and In almost ever case lnln'
their stopples, which had been blown on
Patent medicine bottles strewei q
stairs leading TO the department,and FRO
tho floor above a stream of combined Ii
uids dripped down on the unsuspectl
snectator The newly-prepared ceilil
Was badly burned and huge streamers
blackened and scorched paper hung hi
way to the floor.
A storeroom Saved.
TIE large storeroom in the rear OF
general storeroom, in which the bls
originated, was fortunately spared vi
from the flames. In MS room WAS stor
several thousand dollars worth or his
priced goods aud druggists supplies
every conceivable kind and variety, a