The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-05
A DESTRUCTIVE BLAZE.
The Shoe Store of Abe Sahm Catches
Fire and Is Elnnded

An alarm Of fire at 40 last night
from box t. brought the city fire de-
partmcnt on the run to the store of
-Nho SHhm, at the corner of sixth ave-
nun ard Main street The blaze had
broken out in the rear of the store.
ON the ground floor, and the Burke
building. the largest business building
in the city was only separated from
II by a narrow alley.
The Columbia Fire company. whose
headquarters are only a. few hun
drcd feet away, was at the scene I'm
record time, but for some reason the
water was not turned on for quite
a few minutes. After it had got start
ej, however the splendid pressure
forcing it into the fire made short
work of the blaze, but not before the
interior of the shoe store was wrecked
ana thousands of dollars of damage
donc to the stock and interior fittings
the store was deliberately fitted ana
finished, and in the twenty minutes
that the water was forced into the
building, these furnishings were
broken or otherwise damaged.
The Mitchell Hose company. which
T., located further up the street got
to the fire before the water got to
flowing. When it did get started II
came with such rush that the hose
leaned away from its holders and
howled three men hat on the ground.
II had to he shut off before the hose
could be recovered. and hence val
uablc time was lost.
Again during the fire the hose got
away from the men, but in neither Of
/ al int
The cause of the fire is a mystery.
and no one seems to know how it
started \ passerby saw the rear of
the store in . blaze and turned i'm an
alarm.
Mr.. Sahm was seen by Tribune re-
porter aud asked what he thought
was the origin. He replied with a
voice shaken by emotion:
II don't know no more about II
than YOU do | went out of the store
at o'clock and went tn the hotel to
supper. After supper | took my two
little nieccs out To buy candy for
them. went to Tralles' and then to
Nadgan's, ON Salem avenue. From
lhore / went to Tulkcrson's music
store, across the street. aud listened
to the phonograph there. While the
alarm, hut paid no attention To- it until
man came in the store. | asked him
Wncrc the fire Was. and he said, It'S
your store. Abe I handed the two
little girls over to somebody. | dOn't
know who, ana that's all I remember.
you know as much about the rest as
! do"
The owner of tn" store appeared at
& 1n ip l.,
his best To get into the flaming build
Ing, aud had to be restrained by
force from entering Patrolman viii
NcAndrew, it is said, had to pick NJ.
S,hm Up and carry him bodily cut
Of harms way. 50 excited was he.
Mir. Suhm had Contractor Dove in
Yesterday to look at his furnace be-
cause of some defect i'm it. Mr.. Dove
Was there little after O'Clock in
the afternoon and he told a Tribune
reporter last night that he smellr0
something burning at that time, but
concluded it was in the tlue OF the
chimney. which had recently been re-
built. lie fixed the furnace NJ, and
when he left the smell of smoke had
gone In all probability. however the
fire arose from an uninsulatcd electric
wire, many of which are in the vi
entity.
Mir, Sahm has suffered much injury
from fire, This is the second time his
store has been on fire, the preceding
one having been in December, 1894.
lie is one of tn" members of tHo
Columbia Hose company and Il few
years ago sustained injuries Wnlc
going to a fire which laid him up in
bed in tho hospital Tor three weeks.
He has just recovered from an acci-
do't sustained = few weeks ago 10y be-
ing thrown from the hose cart while
driving to Il morning ire ON the West
Side.
rho tire bell sounded taps at S1i
O'clock. Thc damage by water and
tirn win probably reach $1,000.