The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-14
MYSTERIOUS FIRE.
II Causes Considerable Loss 10 a Spruce
Street Store Building-Losses
Were Large.

prompt and effective work by the
nfemen quenched a fire which started
from mysterious cause about mid
night Saturday night in the tWo-story
wooden building at SIS and 500 Spruce
street, and which is only half of the
whole structure, Nos. 522 and 524 being
separated by a partition and a first
moor stairway leading from the street.
The vacant store at Nos. SIS and 500
was occupied by wax works museum.
The front offices upstairs were occup n
by Attorney George b. Davidson a
the Culver Manufacturing compan
William Frantz, real estate agent.
occupied a middle office off the upper
hallway; Frank II. Leader. two print
ing offices, and Sherman & Musser
three offices. One of Leaders offices
and one occupied by Sherman & Mus
ser were at the rear of the second
floor
Patrolman Charles Neuls discovered
fames issuing from both floors at the
rear and turned in an alarm from Box
70 at the corner of Lackawanna and
washington avenues. The central CITY
companies were under the direction oe
Dlstllct Engineer Louis SchWass. Chire
Hickey being confined to his home by
an injured foot. The fire was uuenched
in less than an hour.
An examination revealed that the
walls, floor, type cases and furniture
IN the rear office of Sherman & Musser
mad been thoroughly burned, as had
peen the rear room of the Leader es-
'apnshment. The other rooms near the
rear OF the second floor We're more or
less burned, but not as badly as the
slightly injured by smoke and water
FRANK Chevalier. of Montreal, was
the proprietor of the museum on the
street floor, which contained $4,000
worth of curios and wax figures. The
contents of the museum were almost
totally ruined, but no part of TIE big
room 1t occupied was severely burned
except at the rear and under the rear
room OF sherman d Musser
{. p. Davidson owned the structure
which was damaged to the extent of
$1,000 and was fully insured. Sherman
d Musser's damage was 81, 200 and their
insurance $500 in the agency of II. s.
Keller. Mr.. Leader carried no insur-
ance; his loss was $500.
In the rear room of Sherman &, Mus
SER where the damage wrought by the
flre is most apparent, an overturned
OIL heating stove was found after the
fire. :.
Proprietor Chevalier, of the museum
came here with several assistants from
Wilkes Barre, where he lost several
hundred dollars. His venture here was
also financial loss and he had ar
ranged to go this week to Syracuse.
Where he had engaged a place for ex-
hibition purposes and paid a weeks
rent in advance. for which he holds a
receipt. To pay his bills in Scranton
he pawned some diamonds and a brace
let for $120.
According TO a statement to a Tri-
bune reporter by Chevalier and his
assistant, William Hill, they left the
museum at 11.55 o'clock, turning a
switch at the door, thus shutting off
the electric lighting current. About
fifteen minutes later the fire was dis
covered
Chevalier claims that there was a
party of men or boys drinking and
carousing in Sherman & Musser's es-
tablshment when the museum was
closed for the night and that there
was no electric current or other source
of fire in his part of the building.
A few weeks ago q fire was discoV-
cred in the cellar and was traced to a
about the building. He cared for the
heating plant and slept in the build
ing.