The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-27
STORES BURNED
AT ROCHESTER
FIRE LOSS WAS 100000.
FLAMES Quilted THE RETAIL
DRY GOODS DISTRICT.

Fire Was Caused by the Burning
Out of an Electric Fuse-It started
in the Store of the Rochester Dry
Goods Company-sibIey, Lindsay
| and Curr Company the Heaviest
LOser-TabIe of Losses.
Rochester, N. Y, Feb. 26.--The sun
set tonight with ten engines pouring
streams of water on the ruins Of what
was practically the retail dry goods
district of this city, for three out of
, the five department stores were con-
sumed in disastrous fire, one of which,
the Sibley, Lindsay, and Curr Company
was by far the largest establishment
of this kind in the city and the old
est.
Insurance men place the loss at $4,-
100000. OF this amount $750000 rep
resents the loss on buildings, and the
remainder the loss on stocks of goods
and to occupants Of offices. 1t is es-
timated that $500 people are thrown
out of work, temporarily at least, be-
cause of the fire.
The Burned District.
The burned district lies on the north
side of Main street between st. Paul
street, and Clinton avenue North, run
ming from st. Paul street almost the
entire length of the block. The fire
started in the store of the Rochester
Dry Goods Company and worked west.
taking but one store east of this es-
Enlistment, that of the Walkover Shoe
Company, before its progress was
checked in that direction. Next west
was the store of the Beadle, Sherburne
Company, which was destroyed, then
the marble block occupied by the Sib-
ley, Lindsay and Curr Company, also
destroyed, and finally the thirteen-story
granite building, the lower part, of
which also was occupied by the Sibley,
Lindsay and Curr Company, and the
upper part by offices. Only the front
wall of the marble building is standing
tonight. The shell of the granite build
ing is intact, and the floors are in place,
but the building was Quilted.
Sibley, Lindsay and Curr Companys
six-story wholesale building together
with the stables in the rear, was de-
this loss being placed at $1,450 900.
There was livery stable and some
frame dwellings on Division street, a
narrow thoroughfare running In the
rear of the burned stores, and these
were damaged by water and falling
walls.
Were no Casualties.
There were no casualties and no one
was injured, except Assistant Chief
To- h.. IL ~
flying nozzle and received some
bruises.
The power on the trolley line rum
ming along Main street was cut off to
avoid danger from electricity and no
cars have run through the block, where
the fire occurred all day. All other
traffic has also been stopped and prob
ably win not be resumed until Monday.
Following is a table Of the losses:
Granite building, 100000; Marble
building, $4,000: Buell. Estate, $4,000;
Cornwel building. $780, 0O Kirley build
ing, $1,000; Walkover Shoe Company.
10000; Sibley, Lindsay and CuH' Com
pany, S250.000
The loss on stock was as follows:
Sibley. Lindsay and Curr Company re-
tail $350.O0O; wholesale. $1,25O,OOO; ten
ants in Granite building. 100000; Beadle
and Sherburne Company, $3.50. 600;
Rochester Dry Goods Company, $780,
900. The smaller losses foot up to
$50. 900.
The fire was discovered by the night
Waterman ia the employ Of the Roch-
ester Dry Goods Company. II was first
seen at 4;50 o'clock, and the Waterman
says II started from a fuse which blew
out In the electric elevator connection.
Almost simultaneously an explosion oc-
CURED IN the basement OF Beadle q
Sherburnes. next door. Smoke ana
flames poured through the elevator
grating IN the sidewalk, and In an In
credibly short time the buildings were
a mass Of flames.