The daily sentinel., 1902-11-17
SIEBECk
SHOE STORE
Ruined by Fire at an Early
Hour Sunday Morning.
Loss Heavy.

| oSS AASo'J'
A fire which completely Quilted the
Siebeck shoe store occurred Sunday
morning, the alarm being turned into
the fire station at 2 45 O'Clock.
The night was cold and it took the
fire department but little time to
reach the scene of the fire. When
they arrived there was very little
blaze. the only perceptible blaze be-
ing in the rear of the store. The
front doors of the store were forced
| by the firemen and as soon as the air
reached the smouldering fire flames
fairly leaped to every portion of the
room. 1t was hardly half minute
after the doors were thrown open be-
fore the fire completely enveloped the
store and the firemen were compelled
to play the water in from the en-
frances both front and rear.
1t was terrifically hot fire and
this to some extent impeded the work
of the firemen, but they soon had
three streams playing on the fire and
also on one of the adjoining buildings
which was for a time threatened.
The fire was stubborn one from the
| beginning, it centered in the rear of
the store and burned up through the
floor into the rear room in the second
story, burning through the floor and
even licking the ceiling in the second
story. -M
Great sheets Of. flame burst from the
front window. .Son the west side and
burning through. into the office. .of. .Dr.
E. F. Eldridge up stairs and then on
to the cornice and even licked the
tiagpole that surmounts the building.
| Every pair of shoes in the store was
damaged. in fact the stock seems to
be total loss. The shoe cases on the
Shelves. all of pasteboard had their
ends burned out and the heels of the
shoes burned to crisp. The goods
were damaged by water which was
thrown on the flames by the depart
ment
The plastering ON the west wall fell
and all the papering of the room was
burned off. In fact the fire was one
of the most disastrous that has
occurred in this city in number of
years. The stock is completely ruined
and is practically without any value
whatever. In the rooms of DR.. E. f.
Eldridge ON the second floor, very
desolate scene was presented to the
onlookers Sunday morning. The
books of the doctor, a valuable medi
cal library was either scorched or
watersoaked. The handsome cases of
surgical instruments were discolored
so that they will have to be repolish-
ed and retempered. All of the doc
tor diplomas were badly scorched
and his rooms were bad wreck.
The cause of the fire is not posi-
lively known In the rear of the
building was one of the hot blast va
riety of stoves. 1t is supposed that
this stove blew up. as they do occa-
sionally and that the fire was com
municated to the stock. 1t smould-
cred for quite some time until it was
discovered
The flames were first discovered by
DR.. Thadd Parker, who was returning
from professional call. He 'phoned
the central station and it was at once
given the fire station.
The stock of the store was very
large. Mr.. Sibeck, the proprietor,
states that it was about 5000. 1t
was pretty we'll packed in the store.
there being little or no vacant space
left in the room.
The stock was covered by insurance
to the amount of $S, 500, held in the
following companies: Caledonia,
S2.0 900, @. B. Rich agent; North Brit
ish g. American, 81, 500; Home Loan
s. Investment company agents; Nat
ional Mutual. $4,000. A. J. Peck,
agent; Phoenix. Of Brooklyn, 81, 600,
NJ. o. Delaplain. agent; Fire Assur-
ance, of Philadelphia. Ramey Broth
ers. agents.
The building, which wa, in bad
CONDITION of repair. is owned by ex-
Lieutenant Governor William Story.
of Ouray. The walls of the building
contained large cracks before the fire
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