Arizona republican., 1903-07-30
WEDNESDAY MORNINGS FIRE
The Less Will Reach 500, 900, Fairly
Covered by Insurance.

The fire that started about 2:30
O'Clock yesterday morning in ID. H.
Burtis' plumbing establishment, and
which was still raging when The Re-
publican went TO press, burned furi-
ously till about sunrise. and it was late
yesterday afternoon before all the
burning embers had finally ceased to
sparkle. The loss by the fire will total
close to 100000, covered by between
$50. 900 and $4,000 insurance.
The heaviest loser. though perhaps
the best insured, is the Alkire COM
pany. The value of its stock cannot be
definitely arrived at until the books.
which were fortunately saved, have
been thoroughly gone over, but it has
been roughly estimated at between
$4,000 and $4,000. and the insurance
on the stock totaled $4S.5O0. D. H. Bur-
tbs estimates his stock at $4,000, COW
cred by $4,000 insurance. The building
occupied by the Alkire Co. was owned
by Mrs. Joe Reed, who is now in the
state of Washington. 1t was valued
at about $4,000 and is total loss. 1t
was insured, but in what amount was
not learned. The building occupied by
Mr.. Burtis was owned by his mother
and was valued at $500 and insured
for $4,000. Elvey & Hulett suffered Il
loss of perhaps $1,000 though the
amount cannot even be carefully esti-
mated at this time, but whatever it
is 1t is fully insured. Estimating Mrs.
Reeds insurance at $4,000, the total loss
accounted for above is s9O.5OO, and the
total insurance is 100000. But in addi-
ton there is the damage to the Cotton
block. which cannot be accurately fg-
ured on till the repairs are made, and
this damage of course will also be
covered by insurance. The block be-
longs to NJ. w. Kales of Oakland.
Other losers are Thomas Armstrong,
attorney, whose Office was badly
scorched, though its contents were in
sured; Thomas Prescott, another at
norney now out of the city, and whose
office Jared similarly; Mrs. Williams
| and Mrs. Aylwin, who lived in apart
| ments on the second floor of the Cot
ten block, and Mr.. and Mrs. ]. Blink
corn. whose household goods We're in
the rooms across the hall from them,
but who are themselves in California. ].
M. Burnett. who was out of town, also
had his belongings moved out and
back again. All the household goods
| on the second floor were removed to
the sidewalk, and, though none were
burned. there will be considerable loss
| from the moving. On the first floor the
bank was unframed, but in the rear
of it everything movable was taken
from Stevens barber shop. Morton &
Edwards law Office and the office of
the Arizona Building & Loan associa-
ton, though no fire entered these
apartments. To the east of the fire the
Ellingson block was badly smoked up
and the tenants on both floors will
suffer some loss from smoke though
| none by fire. In the Elvey & Hulett
store most of the loss is from smoke,
| many things of value being practically
ruined but none burned to speak of.
About $500 worth of goods was re-
| moved from this store in the showcases
at time when it was thought the
building was doomed.
The stock of the .Alkire company in
| the storeroom is a total loss, though
| the books and papers in the Office at
the rear of the building were saved.
| But beneath the storeroom was a base
| ment the full size of the store and
| packed equally as full of goods, so that
| only about half the stock was on ex
| hibition to the customer. The floor to
| the building did not give way or burn
| through except in one place, and but a.
small part of the goods in the base
ment were injured by the fire, though
very large part of them were soaked
with water and the actual loss cannot
| be determined for many days. To IL
| lustrate, there was a half carload of
comforters that had just been received,
which were completely soaked with
water. The linens. bolt goods, shoes.
| etc, were all nicely arranged on
| shelves, however. and some of this
stock was not injured. The company
at once secured the storeroom in the
| Irvine block formerly occupied by the
| Rives drug store and carpenters were
busy yesterday arranging temporary
fixtures while the company clerks were
moving goods in as rapidly as possible,
and the firm will be ready for business
again in short order. The firm ex-
presses itself as highly pleased with the
work of the firemen and is grateful for
| all that was done in its behalf The
same may be said Of all concerned and
the tenants of the Gotten block wish it
| mentioned that they are not only
| grateful to the firenien. but to the
scores Of citizens who so kindly helped
them in the removal of their goods
| when their respective abodes seemed
| doomed to destruction.
The insurance agents of the city
| acted promptly and the various COM
paEies responded to kilograms instruct
ing policy holders to get new quarters,
save all they could and the expense
would De adjusted with the losses. The
companies adjusters. some of them at
least. are expected to arrive here in a
couple of days.
The story of the early minutes of the
fire is of general interest. owing to
comments that are always made on
such occasions. Officer Andrews was
near the corner of Center and Wash
! ington street when his attention was
| called to the smoke and flame just ap-
pearing in the rear of Burtis' store. 1t
was just as near to the engine house
| as to an alarm box and being a fire.
man the officer ran to the engine house
| and aroused the drivers telling them
| in a general way where to go. They
| were therefore on the street and had
a couple of lines of hose laid before
the alarm bell had fairly started to
ring. The fire pressure was not turn
| ed on at the water works power house