The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-24
0PHE village of Mlnooka was swept
by fire at midnight and eight
houses in the center Of the place
Il / i -

JJ Alb DIV Iuluulbu anu cIBuI
houses in the center Of the place
II were burned to the ground, at
total loss Of not less than $50. 900. The
fire originated in the basement of the
grocery store of John j. Coyne. on
Main street, in the center of block of
frame houses.
a lamp in the cellar Of Coynes store
exploded and ignited large petroleum
tank, filed with nearly fifty gallons of
headlight oil. The residents were
were awakened from their slumber by
the report of the explosion of the tank,
and in less than five minutes when
they rushed to the street huge
volumes of flames were seen breaking
from the windows in the cellar of the
store. Before they could collect their
senses the fire bad cr0pt up the side
walls and We're licking the wood work
Of adjoining buildings.
THE FIRE SPREADS.
The store in which the fire started
was annexed to a large double dwell
ing house, owned by Ms. Coyne,
mother Of John j. Coyne. and is ten
anted byier family and the family of
John Mqhady. Iu fifteen minutes the
store and double dwelling were a mass
of flames. The house of Thomas Kear-
ney, on the north, next caught fire and
was speedily consumed, communicat-
ing the fire to the house of John Gal.
lagher. which met a like fate, as did
the large dwelling OF Timothy Lydon.
While the fire was eating its way to
Lydon's house. about 200 men attacked
two-story building belonging to the
Judge estate, and in short hour every
stick of timber was torn away and the
progress of the fire was checked for the
time being. Ga the south side of
Coyne's store the houses were not
so closely situated and it took
longer for the fire to spread. First the
house occupied by Timothy Higgins
caught, next the story-and a,half
building untenanted. owned by the
Michael Costello estate, and then the
splendid new residence Of John Lowry
caught fire.
FIRE COMPANIES ARRIVE.
A telephone message was sent TO
Chief Engineer Ferbsr, of the Scranton
fire department and, although it was
outside the city limits, he ordered box
90 to be pulled, and the Neptune, Cen
tury and William Connell companies
responded. the new Neptune steamer
was attached to the plug at the corner
Of Birney avenue and Sanders street,
and two lines of hose were linked to-
gether to reach the fire. Chief Farber
directed the stream to be turned on
Lydon's house, and in a few minutes
the spread of the fire was checked.
On the other side bucket brigade
kept the house of Thomas sLoughney
saturated with water and prevented
the flames from reaching it. Alto
gether there were eight houses de-
stroyed and one razsd to the ground.
The burned district sums up loss of
$50, 90, and not one-fourth or is covered
10y insurance.
John j. Coyne is the greatest loser.
He had his store and stock insured for
about half of their value, and he lost
every article he owned, not even saw
ing his books. His mother had nearly
$500 in her room and this was burned
up.
The fire spread so rapidly that those
whose houses were destroyed had no
time to savo scarcely anything of
value,
AT one time the crowd of over 8, 200
persons stampeded and many escaped
miraculously from injury in rushing
from beneath the trolley wire which
had become loose through the burning
OF two poles.
The fire companies kept the stream
on the ruins until 30 and the fire was
entirely extinguished,