The Dickinson press., 1904-12-31
DISASTROUS FIRE.
Dickinson Mercantile Co.'s fine Brick
Store Gatted and Stock lost. Cart
wright Co. and Greene 4 Co. also
Damaged.

Dickinson Mercantile Co.'s fine Brick
Store Gated and Stock lost. Cart
wright Co. and Greene 4 Co. also
Damaged.
Fire broke out Thursday morning in
the Dickinson Mercantile Co. brick
store on Villa" 'street. The alarm was,
sounded a few<minutes before 3 o'clock
and by the time the fremen arrived the
flames were hseaking through the front
windows, aHi the whole first floor
seemed to be on fire. The flames were
soon breaking out in the second story
ton was serious. The weather was
all of which worked greatly to the
advantage OF tthe fremen, who, until
four o'clock, seemed to have the flames
we'll under control. At this time the
water in the city we'll gave out and the
steamer had to be moved to the railroad
company hydrant alongside the Willard
street crossing from the depot. While
this change was being. made the flames
broke through the roof and it looked as
though the J. c. Cartwright store would
surely have to burn. In fact, it looked
bad for a large part of the city. The
Cartwright people began to hustle their
goods out and IT,. Greene was also
hustling his drug stock out.
The N. p. set their pumps going at
the river and also in the round house
and when the steamer was finally sta
toned at the company's hydrant there
was an unlimited supply of water avail
able and good pressure was also had,
and it was not long until the firemcn
again got control of the fire. They
worked until after E o'clock before the
fire was in a safe condition to leave.
Had it not been Tor the fact that the
4 fire was in a brick building, the walls of
| which extended far above the frame
buildings alongside. there is no telling
where the blaze would have stopped.
The estimated damage Of the fire is
| $4,000 to 100000, which is considerably
larger than any fire which the city has
ever had before. The Fennell fire
some years ago on Barnes street did
damage to the amount of $4,000.
The loss of the Dickinson Mercantile
| Co. on stock was around $4,000, with
insurance of $500. 1t does not look
as though there would be very much
salvage Of stock. The roof and second
floor have fallen in and the basement
is flooded. There was $1,000 insurance
or the building, and if, as reported, the
standing walls are sprung, it will take
this amount to repair damages.
The ]. c Cartwright Co. loss is esti-
mated at $1,000, caused mostly by the
removal of the stock. Water and smoke
came in some from the roof and the
west wall. Mr.. Cartwright has closed
the doors of his store until after the
adjusters have had a chance to take
account Of stock.
T. J. Greene says that he cannot very
we'll estimate his loss until he has gone
over everything carefully. 1t will be
considerable and much more than a
person would think without looking into
the matter. The way the things were
rushed out of the building and smashed
was a caution Mr.. Greene has put his
stock into place as far as possible and
until his adjusters come will not attempt
to ascertain the loss. His doors were
| only closed for a few hours in the morn
ing.
On the second floor H. c. Berry lost
his law library. He had $3.50 on furni.
ture. The Order Of Eagles, who had
the hall leased on this floor, lost every
thing, also the Foresters, Modern Wood.
men, Locomotive Firemen, K. P.'s and
the Maccabees were the only order
having insurance, theirs being $3.50.
There are a dozen different old line
companies carrying policies on the
Mercantile and Cartwright stocks and
it is likely that a small army of insur-
ance ad]usters will be in the city in a
day or so. The companies are: Spring.
field, Western, St. Paul, Fire Associa-
| ton, l.. and l.. and c.. North British
Mercantile, Phenix of London, Queen,
German American, Commercial Union,
Hanover, and Ins. Co. of North Amer.
! lea.
FIRE NOTES.
Too much cannot be said in praise OF
| the good work done by the fremen,
They worked hard, and many visitors in
| the city were heard to remark that they
never saw better work by fire depart.
| ments in the cities.
Engineer Littlehales and Assistant
| Brislin, assisted by Messrs. Vinnedge
and Hagan, made the city steamer dc
| good work after they got her located on
the N. P. right of way.
The day before the fire the Dickinson
Mercantile Co. had had their 100 gallon
| kerosene tank filled and to avoid a pos
| sible explosion the tank was tapped
while the fire was raging and the oil
| allowed to run and mix with the water
in the basement.
Abe Currie and other tenants over the
Cartwright store moved out in a hurry.
No one seems to know how the fire