Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-23
CLOSE CALL
For a Business Block.
Central Office Building
Was on Fire.
Started Upon the Fifth
Floor Sunday.
Exact Origin Of the Blaze Is a
Mystery.
Block Damaged $2,500, With
$4,000 Loss on Contents.

At 2:3O o'clock Sunday afternoon fire
was discovered on the fifth hoor Of the
Central office building, and FOR time
IL looked as If the flames would devour
the entire block.
The fire was discovered by Drs. Har-
ry VI. Todd and A. Walter Jones. The
formers Office is upon the third floor
and the ;atter's upon The fourth. Both
were in their offices and their attention
was called to the fire by the crash Of
falling glass from the skylights.
The department was Immediately no.
titled by The American District Tele-
graph company.
The fire started in vacant reception
room in the fifth story at the south end
of the hall, near Mill st. The flames
centered about an empty telephone
| booth, which had been used as a place
for throwing waste paper. In the
room was roll-top desk, the property
of Attorney w. H., Love, who is now
| in Washington, y. C. The exact ori-
gin Of the fire will remain mystery.
A barrel of rags and paper was snatch
cd from the flames and they upon ex-
animation were found to lie saturated
with oil.
The adjoining suite Of rooms is occu-
pied by Mr.. Henry Turner, the New
York Ladies' Tailor Mr.. Turner's
rooms were gutted and much Of his
furnishings, including part of his stock
of goods, were destroyed. Mr.. Turner
carried $1,000 insurance. His loss is
Eestimated at one-ha1f of that amount
The next rooms were occupied by Or.
d. III. Lewis. the oculist. Several in
struments and carpets were destroyed,
involving a loss Of $3.50 fully insured.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company's offices in the opposite end
Of the building, We're damaged to the
extent of $500.
Upon the fourth floor, DIR. A. w.
Jones, Mr.. &. ". Gridley and Attorney
Nathan Morse sustained a loss of
about $50 each due to the flooding by
water.
In the various Offices IN the block,
carpets We're more or less water soak
ed. Upon the first hoor Mr.. II. W.
Moss, the tailor, suffered considerable
loss upon his goods and furniture. The
heavy plate glass above came down
with terrific crash and water deluged
the establishment. Nh. Moss loss will
amount to several hundred dollars, COW
cred by insurance.
The frescoing in the Central Savings
Bank was spoiled by the water, but
othrwise no damage resulted.
The block Is owned by Hon. George
w. Grouse, 1t is believed that the loss
upon the building will amount to S2500
approximately. pNt
The building is equipped with chem.
ical fire eXtingulshers but In the excite.
nicrt uone Of them were used, When
til department arrived, door upon the
fifth floor, leading to the fire escape
was broken open, and large volumes OF
smoke rolled cut, almost sitting The
Ifremen. Had the fire. broken out in the
night the block would not have beer
saved.
NARROW ESCAPE.
Monday morning John Davidson, the
janitor of the building, had a narrow
escape from n horrible death. HI
boarded the elevator in the basement
and started on trip TO the top OF
the block. 4 piece Of glass from abov,
dropped and in some way dislodged rh'
cable. which connects the lever in tn,
carriage with the engine. This gay,
Mr.. Davidson no control over the oleva
tor and It shot upward at terrii,
rate. Mr. Davidson realized the sit
uation instantly. He opened the doc
of the carriage and prepared to jump
He had 1t III mind to leap at the frs
floor but the chance passed too quick
ly. At the second story he was read.
and he jumped for his life. He lande,
"a f,lr hut dnns NAT on r., "a rr,nna4 IL,