The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-28

The three-story tenement house at
the corner of Linden street and Frank
lin avenue, owned by y. X. Oakley,
of West Scranton, and occupied by q
number OF families, was badly dam
aged ty fire yesterday morning, the
third floor being entirely destroyed by
the flames, while the first and second
floors We're badly damaged by water
/ Mr.. Oakley carried $4,000 insurance
and suffers a loss of about $4,000,
while the total loss of the tenants is
very large. as hardly any insurance
was carried. The following are the
parties who occupied the building.
On the first hoor-Barnet Finkel-
stein. grocery and residence: Joseph
McMullen and Isadore Muscat, resi-
dences.
Second fioor--Joseph Finkelstein,
tailor; Abraham Rosenblume, Jennie
Ross and Mrs. Pearlman. Mr.. and Mrs.
Grant Ross. dwelling apartments.
Third f1oor-Mrs Fate Johnson. a
widow, lived in the front Of the build
ing: Frank II. Young, in the central
part, and Philip Zang in the rear, and
Miss Mary Brown.
Various reasons are given for the
~
to an overheated chimney, the heat
from which set on fire some papers
stored in a corner nearby, while 9TH
ers suppose 1t started in a dumb
waiter shaft, which was constructed
at the time of the buildings erection.
but was never used. 1t is believed to
have originated there and to have
worked it's way up to the cupola of
the building.
LOST THEIR ALL.
Several families occupied the third
floor ard lost all their property, as a
result Of the fire, no:.c of which was
insured. Mrs. Johnson. a widow, who
occupied four rooms, los. all her fur
niture, clothing, etc, and only saved
her jewelry and a small amount of
money.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Young, who oc-
cupied four rooms on this floor, suf-
fered losses, estimated at $500. Miss
Mary Brown, who also had rooms on
the third floor. had all her household
goods nadly damaged.
The fire was discovered about $50
o'clock ty Mrs Young, who found her
room filed with smoke and saw the
flames breaking through the old dumb
waiter.
Mrs. james T yiss, q ueighbor, who
was watering some plants on the :op
of her house, saw the flames at the
same time and the Nay Aug Hose
company, whose quarters are near by
was Immediately notified.
There was considerable delay in find
ing a kcy for the alarm box and as a
result the fire had gained good head
way before the other companies could
respond. The alarm was at last given
from Box %, and when the Crystals,
Neptune Engine company, Hook and
Ladder. No /, and the Phoenix conf
pany arrived the third floor OF the
building was cracking, swirling
mass of flame.
FLAMES UNDER CONTROL.
/ The chemical engines of the several
companies were brought into service
and extra efforts made to prevent the
flames from spreading and general
confagr? ton taking place. When the
flames were at last under control it
was seen that the parties OH the first
| and second floors had suffered only
from the water, the fire not having
touched them.
On the second floor, Abraham Rosen-
baum, proprietor of the New York Suit
| and Cloak house, resided, and had a
large portion of his effects destroyed.
Two of his children are sick with the
scarlet fever. and were removed to a
place Of safety. The rooms of Mr..
and Mrs. Grant Ross were badly
water soaked, as were also the apart
ments OF Mr. and Mrs. Pearlman.
b. Finlielstein's grocery store and
Isadore Muscat's apartments on the
first floor Wee water soaked, but each
carried s400 insurance. Chief Of Police
Robing, assisted by Mounted Officers
| Block and Burke, kept in check the
crowd of spectators who gathered,
watching the firemen fighting the