The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-07-05
The Scott Hardware Company
Damaged.
The Loss Will Probably Be s35,
900, Fully Covered By
Insurance.
BUILDING BADLY DAMAGED

Inc DullulnR OcCupleu Dy ocOtt
Hardware company at 422 Broadway
caught fire about IL: 80 clock last
night and was almost destroyed, the
contents on the three upper floors be.
ing nearly total loss.
The blaze had gained considerable
Roadway when discovered by Captain
Joe Woods, of the police department.
There had been = great deal of shoot
ing Of Roman candles, rockets and
suon things, and doubtless the fire
was considered some kind of q
Fourth of July celebration by those
who first saw the light from 1t.
When Chief Jim Wood and his men
arrived from both fire stations, the
third and fourth fiours were burning
furiously, and it was impossible to
save any thing of consequence from
them. Much of the valuable stock was
carried out from the lower floor, how.
ever, by volunteers, and police
officers remained ON duty ct the doors
to keep out people who had no bust.
ness inside.
About 1890 o'clock the fire seemed
to be under control. and many of the
spectators who had ventured from
home in the rain returned. Chief
Wood ana the firemen remained or
the scene and kept pouring water
into the building and about O'Clock
the flames got a fresh start on the
fourth floor and burned nearly every.
thing above the second floor before
being again subdued.
The firemen did not get through
fighting the confiagraticn until after
daylight, although the fire was prso
tically out at $3.50, as II was in a
dangerous place and Chief Wood did
not propose to take any chances.
The origin of the blaze is unknown,
but evidently started in the rear OF
the upper floors. In the rear of the
third floor was great deal of packing
material, and il is possible that one
Of the numerous sky rockets or candles
being sent up all over the city. struck
near q window or went through it,
and spark ignited the packing mate
rial.
The stock carried py the company
is estimated to have. been about
s35, 900 in the building, an auxiliary
warehouse being on North Fourth in
the old Christian church building,
where much Of the concerns stock is
kept. 1t is believed that the stock in
the store will be almost total loss,
as much of that saved was water
soaked.
The building is owned by Captain
]. M. White, Of Nashville, Tenn.
and is damaged probably to the ex-
tent Of $40, 900. 1t was rebuilt about
four or five years ago after the fire
that burned out the Kentucky GLASS
and Queensware company, and was
modern in every particular. Insur.
snce was carried on both building and
stock.
The stock is believed by the Messrs.
SCOTT to be a total loss. both the loss
on the stock aud the building being
fully covered by insurance.
They will await the arrival Of the
insurance adjustors before preparing
TO resume business. They have large
stock in their Fourth street ware
house, and will probably occupy tenn
porary quarters until the building il
repaired, being ready to resume bust.
ness when the adjustors get through.
The generally accepted theory is
that Fourth of July fireworks were
responsible for the.fre. Many rockets
fell on roofs OF other business houses
doing no damage on account Of the
tin. One building was struck and the
blazing rocket is said to have dropped
through the skylight, but was put
out before any damage resulted.
The members Of the Scott Hardware
company are Messrs. Frank. Will ant