Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-02-10
/, yAotE. eRIsI Of FIRES.
Two Business Houses Wiped
Out and a Residence 4
Scorched
PullClAL LOSS IS VERY HEAVY.
p. J. Cross Store and a. w.
Zaloudek's Meat Market
Totally Destroyed.
! LOSS IS VERY HEAVY.

y
result twOOi our leading business
houses are completely wiped out. 80
far az stocks and buildings are con
crrnpd. and property lOss OF nearly
9A|.O0O was Sustained. e.
The first fire was that of P.J.
Gross general mprchs ndise store ON
Broadway, opposite the court house.
the alarm for which was sounded ut
about 8 O'Clock The fire depart.
ment responded promptly, and
worked rapidly, not withst anding
that the thel n,Ometer was register
ing close to the ~ mark Mt the time.
but 1t was evident from the first that
the building was doomed.
1t seems strange that q building
located ON sui u prominent thor
"uxbiare could be doomed to de
structiOn nv fire before discovery.
but such was the actual sltua ion
when the firemen began their work
Flames were issuing from every part
III the building. both ON the first and
second floors. anu although the fir I.
men s,"In had four streams pla ing
on the building, the fire was not IN.
der control for two hours, and the
building was wreck and the large
stock at general merchandise 1t con-
tatned completely destroyed. The
origin Of the fire ia not known posi-.
lively. but 1t Is supposed to have
Originat ted from the stove in the
store. A large stove was used to
heat the building, and owing to the
severe weather 1t has been kept we'll
flied for some time. Mr.. Cross
closed the place, ~ usual, at $50.
leaving good hre burning in the
stove, but with all hampers closed.
aud az there was no other fire about
the building the IRE undoubtedly
started in some manner from the
stove. 49,
The store was owned by P. J.
Cross, and althosKh he dues not vet
know the exact amount III insurance
1t 10 known that he 10 q heavy loser.
He had a lar&p stock, valued ~at
@i7.O0O Or more. and the building.
a part OF which was brttk veneere,i,
and the other part solid brick. was
valued at about $3.lN)0. As bnth are
q total loss the entire l,,ss is fully, n
not more than. 3l5. QUO. and with
only about $7,O0O insurance, MIR.
Gross financial lOss IL heavy. His
policies were destroyed, and at this
time We could not learn the com.
panies who carried the insurance.
Mr.. Gross was at the fire. and In IN
attempt IT, recover his books he was
nearly suffocated,. and was taken
home quite III. He is reported better
this morning. The hooks were re-
covered later though damaged con.
slider ably.
At about ~ O'Clock. while the fire
men were still at work 10 the Gros.
building, there came another alarm
III fire. someone discovering that the
Second street meat market of the
Little Falls Packing company was
ON fire. The building of the Little
Falls Packing company ia not more
than half block from the Gross
building, and az the fire in the latter
building was pretty well under con-
troll, two lines Of hose were taken
from 1t to the meat
market. In making the transfer 1t
wan necessary to shut off the noszles,
and as few minutes were necessary
to locate the fire, 1t being in the In
terror at the back end of the build.
inx, one line of hose irOze up and
would not work. The fire originated
on the first floor, but communicated
to the second story before it was
discovered, and had gained such
Roadway that, despite the heroic
work Of the tiremen, the buildh z
with nearly all it's contents was
wholly consumed. >
The origin of this fire, like that of
the Gr,ss building, can only be
guessed at, but either started from
the stove or an overhead ted chimney.
Mr.. ZalOudrk, the proprietor 0i tho
meat market, carried $4,000 ineur-
ance on stock and fixtures, and tho
loss is estimated at q sum consider.
ably higher than that amount. The
building was the property Of
F. p. FarrOw and was insured.
bus at this time we are
unable to give tho exact amount.
This IL the third time that this build.
ing has been visited by fire. The
building was repaired after the first
two fires. but the destruction was
aO complete this time that It cannot
be repaired. but will doubtless be
replaced with a substantial brick
structure. -
J. The third fire started at about 9
o'clock Thursday morning. in the resi-
hence building occupied by Dana