Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-04-30
LYON BLOCK
INPERILED

Greek American confectionery, NIL
street, about half past O'Clock yes
terday afternoon aud for awhile II
seemed that the entire establishment
would be gutted even if the building
escaped destruction.
The fire. which was confined to the
ceiling of the cellar, proved very hare
to get at. as the entire basement was
filled with smoke sutfocating In 1t:
density, which drove back the firemer
as fast as they entered.
The fire was discovered by Charles
Miller and Harry Kearn who from
the pavement III front noticed smoke
issuing from the cellar. They quick
! ly gave the alarm and III very short
time the Continental and the Friend
ship Fire Companies were on the spot.
The Continental Company connected
with a plug on Mill street. while the
Friendship Company went around to
the alley back of the block where 1t
connected with plug and prepared
to attack the fire from the rear.
Up to this time there was only a
vague idea both of the location OF the
fire and proportions it had assumed.
The smoke which came pouring out OF
the cellar, frCnt and rear, concealed
every thing inside from view. The
Continental boys poured stream in
through the front door, but being un-
able to see, the best they could do was
to direct the stream where they
thought il would do the most good.
Time and again they attempted to carry
the hose into the cellar in the hopes
of locating the fire, but each time
they were driven back by the smoke.
Meanwhile the Friendship boys, who
had entered through the rear door,
we're battling against the same odds.
The latter company finally succeeded
in gaining a march on the flames and
we've enabled to play with full force
upon the burning woodwork. After
this the extinguishment of the flames
was short work.
The fire did not get ueyond
the cellar The latter although
not plastered WAS fully lathed, indicat
ing that the intention had been to
finish the apartment like the one
above, but that the work had been in
terrupted before the pla~ielers got to
work The pine lathing along with
the joists afforded abundant material
for the fire to feed upon ana nearly the
en- ire ceiling was burned over.
The cellar presented a hard appear
ance after the fire. Overhead was IL
charred and blackencd network of lath
and joists under foot and lying about
on tables was pa>tv CnnElomeration
of sugar, ,cornstarch, chocolate, kernels
of nuts and all the inggt dIents that
enter into the manufacture of candy.
There was evid My large stock
on hand. Nicholas Gregory, the pro
prietor, estimates his loss at $500 He
had no insurance. Among the stock
destroyed was sixty i've dollars worth
of extracts, besides several barrels of
sugar and a large quantity of pea
nuts
The owner has no idea how the fire
originated. When Messrs. Miller and
Kearn gave the alarm. Mr.. Gregory
saws he ran into the cellar. The fire
then had a good start and was burn
ing the most fiercely over the stove,
which would suggest that the ceiling
might have ignited from that source.
Mr.. Gregory had left the cellar but a
few minutes before, after placing a
pan of cold water upon the stove,
which was heated only to a moderate
degree The building, which is in
sured, was not seriously damaged
Nicholas Gregory has been in busi-
ness here only few months. In COM
pany with his brother, Christian Gre
CORY, who has since retired. he came
TO Danville from Harrisburg and has
done a good business. The two broth
ers are natives of Sparta. Greece.
Nicholas has been in this country for
thirteen years and served with Uncle
Sam during the Spanish American
War