The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-15

of the money in the cellar, the gold and
silver melted into irregular Jumps, are
the grounds upon which the eXplana-
tion of his being entrapped are based.
sThe deceased was forty years Of age,
and is survived by a wife and five chill
dren. He is a brother-in-law of T. II.
Watkins, Of Simpson q Watkins.
HAD A NARROW ESCAPE.
Storekeeper Allen and his family had
a narrow escape from the fate which
befell the unfortunate paymaster. Miss
Isabelle Allen, his daughter. was
awakened by the sound of breaking
glass and gave the alarm Their apart
ments were filling with smoke and the
heat of the flames could be felt. Mr..
Allen led the way to the nearest stairs,
which is in the rear of the building
and on the side nearest the fire, his
purpose in going this way being to
arouse Teamster Campbell, whose
couch was located at the rear of the
store.
Just as they reached the head of the
stairs the side of the building burst i'm
as if by the force of the explosion, and
they We're compelled to retrace their
steps and descend by the front stair
way. While the women stood in the
doorway, Mr.. Allen, as described be-
fore, started to arouse Campbell. Mr..
Aliens feet We're badly burned by
stepping on heated pieces Of glass. 1t
will be week or two before he will
be able to be about.
The story of the fire. as told i'm yes
terday's Tribune, despite the lateness
of the hour. the excitement and the
difficulty of communicating with Dur
yea, was substantially correct and
complete.
The fire started about midnight;
some say little before. others con-
tending that it was as late as 1910 a.
m 1t appears that the flames were
discovered by a number of parties
about the same time and that when
they We're first seen they had almost
envelOped the Dills livery and barn,
and were eating their way up the side
of the Simpson & Watkins store, which
is twelve feet to the south of the liv-
cry.
Famed by strong. variable wind,
the flames rapidly spread north and
south and while the Dils place and
the company store were fast being de-
Noured, the adjacent buildings were
one after the other falling prey to the
destroying blement
OTHER BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
To the north of the livery was a
group of three buildings. owned by f.
Il. Dills, the main one. 24X50, being
occupied by Mr.. Dills with his under
taking establishment and office.
smaller one adjoining on the south be-
ing occupied by Percy GrimShaw's
barber shop and in the rear of the shop
and alongside the undertaking eStab-
lishment being a dwelling house, in
which John Fowler one of DillS' team
sters, lived with his family. Upstairs
in the large building was a meeting
hall, and i'm the rear of the hall a
dwelling apartment occupied by Frank
Savage, a clerk in Jonas Longs Sons
Scranton store.
Next To the undertaking establish
ment was the Dills homestead which,
however, escaped with only scorCh-
ing. To the south of the Simpson &
Watkins store, the flames destroyed
two small buildings owned by John
Stuckey, the one i'm front being used
hy his son, Fred. Stuckey. as a barber
shop, and the one i'm the rear being
occupied as dwelling by James Knote
The company store barn, i'm the rear of
the store, was also burned
Across the road from Dills' livery
was a building owned by G. b. Foster
and occupied by Thomas Connell as a
livery and boarding stable. This was
consumed with all it's contents. A
business block owned by $. j. Freeman.
of PittstCn, containing five store rooms
on the first floor living apartments on
the second, and having small office
building attached on the northern side
was attacked by the flames which
swept across the street from the COM
pany store, and nothing remains of if
but the wall at the extreme southern
end
1t was occupied by Dominick Ogur-
kis' saloon and j. b. Grimshaw's drug
store. Ogurkis lived over his saloon
and Thomas f. Brown and family oc-
cupied one of the vacant store rooms
and the remainder of the upstairs
apartments. 1t was Mr. Browns in
tention to open uD business there in
the near future.
WHAT STAYED THE FLAMES.
Vacant lots on the north and south
Of the burned district and the inter-
Nention of the cross streets prevented
the further spread Of the flames, The
Duryea hose company and the Eagles
and NiaGaras, Of Pittston, did good
work. but We're handicapped by Door
water supply. the force for some rea-
son not yet explained being very weak
an unusual thing, it is said
Simpson & Watkins loss is comnIate
The stock was valued at $4,000 and
the building at Sc OOO RaciJas .l,i, II
barn, with much of it's contents and
the money and books that were in the
ccal company's office. make the loss
easily $1,000 moro. The firm carried
22,60O insurance.
f. b. Dills' loss will run up to SIP
GOO, and is only half insured. His eIev-
en- horses were kept in a stable i'm the
rear of his livery, and there were
about all that he saved. A new hearse
valued at $1,000, four coaches. a slIr-
rey, four buggies six cutters. har-
nesscs and all the paraphernalia of q
tirst-class livery and undertaking es-
adjustment were destroyed.
His tenants, Barber Grimshaw. John
Fowler and Frank Savage, saved
scarcely a stick Of furniture, and none
Of them carried insurance.
G. b. Fosters building, in which the
Connell livery was located, was worth
$500, 1t was insured for $500
Liveryman Thomas Connel lost three
chOaches, surrey, Two single buggies.
four sets of harness, three sleighs and
two of his six horses. His loss is 50 -
600, and he carried no insurance.
S. j. Freeman's business block was
valued at $500 and is "A total lose