The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-01

That the recent test of the Crawford
county system was not rendered
all for naught last night is due to q
very simple circumstance. The same
circumstance also possibly saved the
city from a meat famine. At this dis
tance it can be treated in a jocose
vein; at the time Of occurrence it wasn't
bit laughable.
1t was this way.
A meeting of the Republican city
candidates and executive committee was
being held in the Central Republican
club rooms, on the third floor of the
Price building, on Washington avenue.
Across the hallway the Retail But
chers' association was conducting its
regular semi-monthly meeting with a
full attendance. Both sessions were
behind closed doors.
on the second floor are a number of
untenanted offices, temporarily occu-
pied by +. T. Price, the grocery agent.
one of these rooms, fronting on Wash
ington avenue has a cupola surmount-
ing it which extends into the corridor
and atop of this cupola is an adjust
able glass covering for ventilating and
lighting purposes. In the recess with
Il
of boxes and barrelc containing waste
material and in this very inflamable
mass, located in this ventable chimney,
fire broke out at $50 o'clock last
night, while the meetings aforemen-
toned were in progress.
WOULD BURN QUICKLY.
The building offers advantages for
the quick spread of fire. Had the
flames that broke out last night gained
any kind Of headway at all, it is not
venturing too much to say that all OF
the two-score or more of men on the
upper floor would never have escaped
by the single narrow and winding stair
way that offered an exit to safety.
But the fortunate circumstance was
at hand.
A street urchin was ambling along
Washington avenue His feet were
cold and, seeing the lighted hallway,
he went in to find shelter for a few
| minutes.
Hearing a cracking sound above him,
! he glanced up and beheld smoke pour
! ing forth from the top of the cupola
| jutting above the second floor. He ran
! upstairs. yelling fire, and then, satis-
ran out again and told a policeman,
who haDened near at hand and who
! sent in an alarm from Box 26. corner
| of Washington and Lackawanna ave-
nues.
The Republicans heard the cry of fire,
| and, rushing out, encountered the hall
| way rapidly filing with smoke. The
! stampede startled the butchers a nd
they followed the politicians pell-mell
! down the narrow stairway. About half
of them made the descent on their feet.
| The other half came down on others
shoulders or other portions of their own
! anatomy. At all events, they all got
! down, but not without bleared eyes and
smoke-filled lungs.
HAD \ HOT TIME.
The last ones to come down the steps
We're compelled to cover their faces to
protect them from the flames which
were by this time shooting across the
stairway. So hasty and excited was
the retreat that the butchers secre-
tary left the collections for dues lying
in a pile on the table in the meeting
room. He secured the money. however,
after the excitement subsided.
The Phoenix Chemical company made
one Of the quickest responses ever
credited to it and We're able to check
the flames before they had spread be-
yond the cupola. An investigation by
Chief Hickey failed to reveal the orig
in of the fire. 4 lighted cigar stump
dropped from the third floor through
the ventilator was one possibility, he
thought. The damage can be repaired
for couple of hundred dollars. The
building is insured in companies rep
resented by w. T. Hackctt. The loss
to Mr. Prices stock is trivial.