The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-10-19


partments, and the stock and store
rooms of the L. Rehkopf Saddlery com
pany, on Second street between Broad
way and Kentucky avenue, were guttet
by fire this morning shortly before
o'clock. The blaze originated in the
second story, middle building, in the cut
ting room of the harness department
and apparently started near a stairway
The company has three buildings to
gether, and two of them were practically
ruined, while the store or sales depart
ment, nearest Broadway. was so damag
ed by water that most of the stool
will be a complete loss.
Several persons seen ed TO discover tn
blaze about the same time. The alarm
was sent in from the Western Unior
over its private alarm system. and about
the same time Officers Cross and Terrell
discovered il.
Chief Woods soon had every evnilablo
facility at work, and the aerial truck
was used for the first time, enabling H.,
iiremen TO do good work from an ele.
waited position.
The blaze spread rapidly to the har.
ness and buggy departments, and water
ruined what the fire al not destroy
While the lower floors were no. invad
ed by the fire, the water soaked every
thing that could not be moved out, an,
added to the loss.
According TO some hrst on the scene
the fire seemei to have started in twa
or three places. IL was reported that
the fre-doors between the Secord street
building and the John G. Rehkopf Bug
~ house were found broken open, but il
was harmed that this was done oy tho
iircren after they began fighting tbc
flames.
Of'cers Cross and Terrell saw two
~ ;l'ree men coming cut of the alley IL
the rear of Jones Hardware stors, which
LEEDS TO the rear of EehKopf's, abou
fitie,n minutes OF half an hour befcsg
he FIRE was discovered. hut KNOWN.
nothing about the approaching fire. and
Icing engaged watching another case.
they did not stop the men.
1t was thought for n white that The
loss might not exceed $4,000, but thu
estimate will likely fall far short, it j.
aid today.
When the handwriting iircmcn com
Pleted their work az o'clock this morn.
M. they had saved surrounding pr )pcr.
ty from damage, bat the ;hrce Rch.
Eopf buildings were 50 badly damaged
that should repairs BE- started on them
now, it would be SOFAS time until th,
establishment could be running again.
Tie floors in the two bull linss farth
crest from Broadway warc burned
through, and the building nearest Broad
way is so badly damaged that il will
take quite while for ii to dry on. AM
be repaired
Much of the stock that was not in
iured by fire was irreparably damaged
by water. 1t may be of some value yet
but il can never be used for the purpose
it was intended.
The hardware in the store department
will be rusty in short time, as it is
water-soaked, and the ether stock farct
equally as badly. That portion of tho
stock removed to the outside was com
paratiyely small. 1t was piled into the
street near the new market house exca-
,ations, and this morning carried into
TO building of John Rehkopf Buggy com
pany, on Broadway, where il will re
main until the firm gets Strengthened
out. The firm saved about all its bug
gies, which were kept in the building
nearest Kentucky avenue.
The machinery in the harness depart.
slent was ruined, but most of that in
he saddlery' department may be saved
A feature of the fire is the number OF
pen thrown out of work. There were
about 100 at work in the department
burned, and today they found them
elves without the means of liveli.
rood. About twenty OF them, who were
Employed in the harness department,
ost all their tools, and none of them car