The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-29
LIVE NEWS OF
WEST SCRANTON
FIRE IN BANNER BLOCK ON
SOUTH MAIN AVENUE.
It Breaks Out in the Furniture
Store of II. L. Wall and Ruins His
Stock on Which He Had No In
surance-other Tenants Are Not
Damaged-Marriage of Miss Har-
riet Fellows and William D. Grif-
fths in the Simpson Methodist
Church.

once again fire nearly destroyed the
"Banner Block" on South Nam ave-
nue. and this time seemed for awhile
to be on a fair road to success. The
alarm of fire last evening about 1925
o'clock followed the discovery of smoke
issuing from the transom of the FUR
niture store of II. L. Wall, at 121 South
Main avenue, in the Banner Block
The discovery was made by Frank
Reese and Edwin Peters who were
standing just opposite. Word was con-
veyed to Patrolman Evans and he sent
in the alarm from box IS, corner or
Main avenue and Jackson street. The
Columbias and Franklins Immediately
responded.
Meanwhile, the two young men rush
ed across the street and aroused the
tenants who reside over the store in
the rear. They were Mrs. Henry Ros-
ser and children and Mr.. and Mrs.
Augustus n. Allen and children. All
were gotten out safely though nearly
suffocated with smoke as they had re-
tired.
The firemen after heroic effort sue
ceeded in gaining control of the flames
and prevented their spread beyond the
store room itself. A large mattress
which seemed to be one mass of flame
was dragged out of the store. 1t was
almost impossible to get into the place
| owing to the dense volumes of black,
sooty smoke.
II. l.. Wall, under whose name the
store is conducted with H. c. Hnman
as silent partner, was seen by a
Tribune reporter and stated that he
had no insurance. He valued his stock
at about $l,GG0. When questioned as
| to the probable origin of the fire, he
| said he could only attribute one cause
ana that was gas leakage. There was
no fire of any kind in the store with
| the exception of q single Jet Of gas,
which was always left burning during
| the night.
He had been in the store about As
minutes previous to the discovery of
the fire. and though he noticed no fire,
he did smell gas strongly. He, how
ever, thought nothing of that as nearly
every morning for several weeks he
has had to yentilate the store to drive
out the odor OF gas. Moreover, plumb
ers have been fixing around for several
days this week attempting to find a
gas leakage. 1t was thought that the
sewer gas was finding an outlet into
the building.
| The stock is for the most part ruined
mostly by flame and smoke, as little
| water was used. About a year ago
when the furniture store was run by
Wall u Barrett, a fire occurred in the
collar of the store. Mr.. Wall dissolved
partnership with Mrs. Barrett and at
that time the insurance held by Phil
lips & Holmes was cancelled.
Above the store is the room occupied
by the Welsh Philosophical library.
They have several thousand dollars
worth of books. In the rear on this
floor are rooms occupied by the Ros-
ser's and Aliens. Across the hall is
the tailor shop Of Eric Andrew. On
the ground floor next the store is the
jewelry store of George Waters. On
the other side of Wallis is the branch
store of the Atlantic and Pacific Tea
company. No damage was caused any
or those enumerated above other than
by smoke.