St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1907-08-02
Two MORNING BLAZES
At Smiths Pharmacy and w.
6. Adams Residence.

of the windows on the south side of
Smiths pharmacy and gave the
alarm in hurry.
There has been a great deal OF
fun over the fact that our fire bell
doesn't raise the tin roof off the
city hall every time it rings, but
there is this fact prominent in the
history Of ST. Johns-it gets the fire
laddies out when it loosens up.
They were in evidence Wednesday
morning and about five o'clock
spoiled the fine plate glass door in
Smiths front in order to get at the
fire in the rear room, where hole
about FIVE by seven feet in extent
was burned through the floor. The
partition between this room and a
room farther back which DR.. Sto-
rey had just finished preparatory to
using as an Office was destroyed
with large assortment of different
drugs and medicines stored on
the shelves.
At this point, too, was small
motor and its attachments,
which were destroyed. The room
was covered with SCOT and ashes
and II will give our pharmacist and
his running mate, Mr.. Salisbury, a
job for the remainder of the week
getting things into shape.
The loss was about 5000, and IL
is very fortunate that the fire was
discovered when 1t was, for a little
later 1t would have been a bad
blaze and nothing could have saved
the building. Very likely, too, the
balance of the block would have
gone with it.
The origin Of the fire seems to be
a mystery. II il had occurred
early in the night there might have
been some chance for a lighted
match or smoked out cigar dropped
on the floor, causing the fire. But
occurring as II did early in the
hours after anyone had
been In the room, makes Il hard to
explain. There is some possibility
that IL may have been ignited by
the electric curren, to the motor,
but Mr.. Monahan thinks IL could
not have occurred in that way.
There is another theory of spon.
combustion caused by the
excessive heat aud the oiling sub
stance used on the floors of the
freshly renovated room. but the oc.
cupants think this Is hardly prob.
able. There is still another theory
that OF incendiarism. The win
low on the south side OF the room
was open and one could have tossed
some burning substance through
The window aud thus caused the
II will perhaps be
toarrive at a definite con.
,lusion as to just what was the
'ause, but good fortune and a good
bunch Of fireboys favored Messrs.
Smith aud Salisbury and they es.
,aped luckily. We have been told
he property was insured sufficiently
% cover the loss.
Since the foregoing was put into
ype we have learned that when
he boys FIRST discovered the FIRE the !
'outh door % the store was open,
md Il would not have been neces-
AIRY to break open the front door;
hat Mayor Couch was Johnny-on-
he-spot with his fire extinguisher
,eiore the fire laddies got on the
Gene; and that Rev. +. l.. Young
vas the first man there aud could |
,ave extinguished the fire with a
'ucket of water had there been a
hydrant. Just the same,
We congratulate Messrs. Smith and
on their narrow escape
md hope they may be even more
ortunate in the future.
Thursday morning about the
anne hour as the day before the
larm was again given. This time
/ was the fine new residence OF w.
:. Adams in Point View. The
louise has been recently finished and
5 said to have cost $500, with less
han $4,000 insurance. The freboys
we're late there because of the long
istance, and when they arrived
hey could not get enough water to
o much good. The entire struc-
ure was destroyed, but most of the
nrniture and household goods was
aved by the neighbors, who hur-
led to the rescue,
We sincerely sympathize with
ir. Adams in his loss, A loss by
re is about the worst financial loss
lie can meet. II man robs us the
ioney will do someone some good,
he steals our coat, it will keep
warm; but we cannot con-
eive of any benefit to anyone
trough the burning of public or
rivate property; it is direct loss
, the whole world.
In this connection it will be we'll
" us all to remember the extreme
ryness of the season, and we
lould all use more than ordinary
ire that no opportunity is given
" a fire to get started.