The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-01-16
The Blaze Started and Had Gained
Great Deal of Headway.
WAS DIFFICULT TO FIGHT
Smoke So Dense That FIremen Could Hard
ly Work, But They BraveIy Tackled
the Blaze and Had 1t Under
Control In Remark
ably Short Time.

Riblet was on duty in the vicinity of the
public square, his attention was drawn
TO huge volumes of smoke emanatlng
from the Robert Patton shoe store, To-
Gated at 12S West Tuscarawas street,
in the Shaeffer block. He ran to box
35, located on the public square, and
turned in an alarm, to which all the
fire companies responded. In a few
minutes the smoke turned into flames
and fierce fire ragged when the firemen
entered the place. The central engine
house firemen unreeled the chemical
hose and applied stream on the flames
in the rear part of the store. At the
same time two streams of water from a
large fire hose were applied by firemen
in the cellar, and another stream was
permitted to flow upon the floor of the
shoe store so as to prevent the floor
burning through and at the same time
preventing the flames from communi-
eating with the stock in the front Of
the store. The efforts of the firemen
were required for about one hour until
the flames were under control, and the
the firemen began reeling their hose
and the alarm sounded fire out"
The Patton shoe stock was seriously
damaged, but the loss through smoke
and heat extended to other merchants
in the same block. Messrs. Goodman
& Deville, whose store adjoins that of
Patton, sustained a very large amount
Of na 90 ching
When seen, Friday morning, Mr.
Goodman was unable to make a state
ment as to Just what loss was incurred
through the smoking Of their stock
He stated, however, that the stock was
fully insured, and that all loss would |
be covered. Their stock of gents fur |
nishing goods was very large and COM
plete, and it is understood that great |
er portion thereof has been damaged |
Messrs. Charters Bros. also sustained |
a loss of probably $3.50 to candy in stock |
and material which was stored in the |
cellar beneath the block Their loss |
is fully covered by insurance. Walter |
H. Double, of Double Bros, who occupy |
store room Just east Of the Patton |
shoe store, sustained damages amount |
ingto 81, 200, fully covered by insurance |
In some places woodkork was blistered |
from the intense heat occasioned by |
the flames in the adjoining room and |
the cellar underneath.
A large cellar extends underneath |
this block Of store rooms, and a great |
deal of difficulty was experienced by |
the firemen in extinguishing the blaze |
down there, although two streams of
water We're turned into that portion OF
the building.
The origin of the fire is somewhat of
a mystery. Fire Chief Leininger made
a thorough examination of the building
after the fire had been extinguished
and it appeared to him as though the
flames were started through the gas
fame which is permitted to burn in the
store over night, in the Patton room,
or from electric light wires. However,
this theory is only conjectural, as no
one really witnessed the beginning of
the fire. but only saw the smoke and
flames as they issued from the shoe
store and the cellar underneath.
For short time there was some dan
ger that the entire building might be
destroyed as smoke was seen issuing
from the upper floors which are occu-
pied by attorneys. But an investiga-
tion showed that the intense volumes
of smoke followed through the perfora-
tions made in the ceilings for the heat
ing pipes, and thus filled these offices
with smoke. Windows were thrown
open and after a short time the smoke
was cleared out. A number of the at
torneys sustained slight damages
through smoked papers and books but
no other loss was incurred.
1t appears that the fire really st rted
in the vicinity of a partition in the
rear Of the shoe store and that the
flames worked their way through to
the cellar Joists were here and there
discovered almost wholly consumed
for the quick work Of the department
and the distribution of the streams of
water at the various points in time,
the flames would have communicated
TO other portions of the building in a
very short time, 1t was very difficult
fire to extinguish on account of the
heavy smoke which Allied all the store
rooms and the cellar. to such an ex-
tent that, the lanterns in the hands Of
the firemen shed little light ahead. At
one time. while the stream from the
chemical was being used, there was a
sudden stoppage OF the flow Of the
chemical fluid. oecasioned by parties
outside Of the building stepping upon