Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-01-20
From Saturdays Daily.
EARLY MORNING BLAZE.
Morris STEMS Store Badly Damaged
by Fire and Water.

About 2:3O this morning a tele-
phone message was received at the
fire department that Parsons drug
store was on fire and to hurry up.
At this time huge volumes of smoke
were issuing from the back windows
of what the informant thought was
Parsons drug store. The fire wagon
doomed down First avenue and the
firemen were unable TO discover any
blaze in the drug store, but on going
around to the rear located the blaze
in Morris STEMS clothing store.
There was little if any blaze. but
great volumes of smoke. Lines OF
hose were laid from the First Ma
| tional bank corner and the front door
broken in. For minute the boys
were unable to gain entrance owing
to the dense smoke, but this was only
temporary. Faint rays OF light could
be seen in the rear of the store
through the thick smoke, and water
was turned on. 1t took about Is
minutes to get the blaze under con-
troll, although the firemen put in
couple of hours before they departed.
They worked yalliantly the first half
Ihour and were extremely fortunate in
being able to prevent the blaze spread
ing. In one or two places in the
ceiling the fire was eating its way
through. Had the rafters and wood
work become enveloped the building
might have been doomed, owing to
the impossibility to reach the fire.
l 10 he T..
ulated, as well as the owners of the
building
The origin of the fire is a mystery.
Mr.. Stein says no lights were left
burning and very little fire in the
Istove which does not show appear
ance of having been the cause.
Chief Galbreath has theory that
the fire started in the left-hand cor
ner at the rear. That the flames
caused the gasoline in the large lamp
to explode. At any rate the lamp
exploded, and the fluid was thrown
in every direction and with it flames
which enveloped the room. The
force of the explosion blew out all the
rear windows, smashed the glass in
the show cases and upset few things.
Had it not been for the explosion the
damage would have been quite small,
whereas the clothing seems to have
been damaged throughout. The
boxes and cases, containing shoes and
furnishing goods, are scorched on the
outside and some of the goods may
be damaged by both fire and water
but are not total loss. The goods
in the basement are only slightly
damaged by water.
Mr.. Stein finished invoicing a few
days ago and the stock inventoried
in the neighborhood of $4,000. He
thinks the damage will be in the
neighborhood of $4,000 to $4,000,
with $4,000 insurance, in the follow.
ing companies:
Local Security Co-Alliance, ST.
900.
S. w. Pingrey Agency-Orient, ST..
900; Franklin, $1,000; Merchants. 81.
900; Hamburg Bremen, $4,000.
In this connection, Mr. Stein can
Icelled $4,000 insurance with the Lo.
cal Security Co, having reduced the
stock during December and the early
part of the month, and figuring that
about half insurance was sufficient
10 carry.
The building is owned by c. NJ Viii
liams of Colorado Springs and the
damage is covered by insurance with
the Local Security Co. agency.
Mr.. Stein will await insurance ad-
justors' inspection before announc-
ing plans for the future, but will prob
ably continue in business the same as
ever, disposing of the damaged goods
preparatory to purchasing new spring
stock.