, 1903-01-22

the basement and first floor of the
beautiful Interstate Townsite COM
pany's building at 1880 o'clock last
night, despite the earnest and faithful
efforts of Chief Lehman and the entire
fire department to check the flames.
AS 1t was. the damage is largely by
smoke and water. The fire originated
II. the basement and destroyed some
kindling piled in the south half of that
apartment, charring the timbers sup
porting the floor above and causing
the breaking of one glass door and the
destruction of several feet of plaster
ing in the stairway leading to the
cellar. The loss is fully covered by
insurance, the company having $4,000
in the National Firse Insurance com
pany in John Davis agency and $4,000
on building and 81. 900 on fixtures in
William & Wilkinson's agency.
The alarm was turned in by Police
ri:an John Sigman, who discovered
smoke issuing through the street door.
The department responded readily.
and soon the steamer had three lines
Of hose furnishing water under a pres
sure Of nearly 100 pounds. The fire.
men had difficulty in getting action,
as the janitor, Clyde Cover, who re-
sides at Fifth and Park streets, had
gone home and did not hear the alarm.
They finally reached the Gene and
extinguished the fire. The basement
had about two feet of water when the
engine stopped, SO that some damage
will result to the foundation walls Of
the building.
On the first floor are located the Of
fees Of the Van Horn-Miller company
and Engineer R. D. Stewart Of the
Laramie Plains line. Vice President
Miller was on his way east at the time
and Secretary ]. B. Mckee was at
Centennial, leaving no n in the Of
fee but Mr.. John H. Larkin, the stem
ographer. He arrived on the scene in
a few minutes after the alarm had been
sounded and succeeded in removing all
the valuable books and papers from
the Office to a place of safety. Mr..
Stewart was in the office, keeping the
doors closed and the crowd out. and
no damage was done to any of his pa
pers or the furniture Of the room.
Upstairs in the Offices of the Ram
bier company and DR.. D. E. Brown no
damage resulted. DR.. Brown had his
instruments ready to move at a mo-
ment's notice and Mr.. Stoddard of the
Rambler company had. gathered to-
gether the valuable papers from his
desk and had them ready. The smoke
did not trouble them and the water
did not reach the upper floor.
1t is believed the fire originated from
a crossed. electric light wire, as the
fire was several feet from the furnace,
and MI. Cover declares that when he
left the building At 6 o'clock the damp
ers were all closed and the fire was
III 6OOu bAA6PC. o0NCA0A VI ShC
lamps burned out, showing q
break in the circuit somewhere.
The smoke in the cellar was SO
dense that for 4 time the firemen
could make little Roadway in getting
to the front Of the basement. One
fireman fell down the stairway at the
real Of the building and was lifted
out by his companions in . shaky con-
dition. Mr.. LArkin was almost I've
come with smoke. but managed to get
outside, after having fallen in the YES
thule Of the Van Horn=Niller once.
Some damage to the walls Of the
building Ii noted from slight settling
Of the foundation wallis from the soak
ing they received, but the building v
believed to be perfectly safe and mot
liable to suffer. severely nom this
cause. The IRE occurred 1t . time in
The eveaing- when many people were
idle, and . large crowd gathered ard
chesrsd u gallant Arsunsn 70 save u