The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-10-04
A DISASTROUS FIRE ON MAIN
STREET THIS MORNING.
SEVERAL SUSTAIN INJURIES
Biggs Restaurant and Bastine Cold
Drink Place Destroyed-Rooming
House Upstairs Dsmased-ln-
mates Injured In Escaping.

Ardmore was visited by another al
most disastrous fire about $3.50 o'clock
this morning. Three Main street
buildings were badly damaged and
one restaurant and Longhorn place
were a complete loss.
Jim Nix. lodger in the Oriental
room house upstairs over Skipworth's
grocery store had the misfortune to
break his right leg near the end OF
the thigh near the hip, and Jacob
Sharpe. a lad about fourteen years of
age employed in the restaurant where
the fire originated, was badly burned
from his waist up, and about the
head and face Bob Copeland another
roomer in the house was badly bruis-
ed by jumping from the building and
Roy Carter cue Us feet badly in
jumping from the building.
The total damage to buildings and
stocks amounts to about $4,000 and
was partially covered by insurance.
A quick response by the department
prevented one of the most serious
fires that has ever visited Ardmore.
The blaze originated in the rear OF
Robert Biggs restaurant, near the
cook stove, which was situated next
to n gasoline stove that exploded.
From what can be learned of the fire
and from the statement made by Mr..
Biggs, lot of kindling wood was
laying back of the range and the heat
Is supposed to have set fire to the
kndling which blazed up and ignited
the gas stove that exploded. The res
taurant Is complete loss with per
haps the exception OF the range.
Biggs loss amounts to about $3.50 on
which he carried insurance in the
sum of 5000. Jacob Sharpe, lad
employed as cook on the Hamburger
stand, was asleep under the counter
and before the boy could be awoke he
received several burns about the
body from the waist line up to the
top Of his head. The lad is in a
precarious condition.
Joe Bastine who runs wholesale
and retail Longhorn place next door
is also heavy loser by the fire the
stock on hand being completely de-
stroyed as well as the fixtures in the
place.
Bastine estimates his loss to be
about 81 200 with about $500 insur-
ance. An electric piano located In
the building the property of L. H..
Luke is almost u complete loss with
no insurance.
J. A. Skipworth the grocer on the
east of the Bastine place was badly
damaged by water and smoke, and
the front OF the building charred,
Skipworth was in the building OWL
ed by Mrs. Chapman of Gainesville.
Y. Il. Lynn, the shoe man had the
front OF his building which was but
lfNNAAiN lAA lllf biuif hAH'hr'N'f 'ii'
plate glass having been broken. The
stock suffered some damage from wa
ter and smoke Lynn's loss is GOV.
cred by insurance.
Mrs Homer Frye who runs the up
stairs part of the Virgins and Chap
man buildings, as a rooming house,
claims to be damaged about 800
worth and is covered by insurance.
During the course Of the excite
ment Mrs. Frye lost four rings, one
pearl set ring, one signet ring, a
plain band gold ring, and a small
gold ring.
+. A. Morgan, who was employed by
Biggs as night man at the lunch coun-
ter, made the following statement as
to the fire:
81 was at the lunch counter when
the alarm came to the front from the
rear OF the building and had hardly
time to turn around when the gaso'