Las Vegas daily optic., 1907-04-29
sHACkS ON GRAND AVENUE
WIPED OUT Rr FLAMES LAST
NIGHT.
origin NOT known
loss Between Three and Four Thos.
sanc-close Call for Center Brock
Drug Company.

Fire last night almost entirely de-
stroyed the row Of shacks on Grand
avenue. from the Center block drug
store 10 the El Dorado hotel The
places Of business destroyed were
Pete Ciddios tailor shop. the chill res.
taurant Of Mira. Gertie Gray, Dick
Hesser's paint shop and the Sing Leo
laundry. The X. ID. Goodall drug
store. DIR. n. H. Smiths office on the
second foor In the same building.
the Kate Wright building, and the har-
ness and repair shop Of Baca g. R0.
nero were damaged TO some extent
by the flames. water and smoke. The
entire damage amounted TO between
$1,000 and $4,000.
The flames were discovered at
about 2 o'clock this morning leaping
from the roofs of the tailor shop and
chill restaurant. and 1t can not be de.
termined where or how the fire origi.
mated. although there are a number
OF theories J. A. Moore was first to
telephone central, notifying her of the
blaze. but as no automatic alarm has
heen connected up from the fire de-
rartment to the new Colorado central
office the alarm could not be sounded.
Night Policeman Ed Ward saw the
blaze shortly afterwards and ran TO
the engine house and rang the bell
himself.
Owing to the fierce wind which was
blowing. and the rain, the alarm coull
not be heard far and there was con
siderable delay In getting out the hose
wagon. When the Las Vegas depart,
ment and the T.. Romero Hose com.
pany arrived the blaze was soon put
under control. In few minutes there
were four streams OF water being
thrown ani the Center block drug
store was saved. The windows and
doors had caught fire and at the time
of the arrival of the companies it was
the general opinion that the brick
block would be a total loss.
Tho doors and porches at the rear
Of the Kate Wright building, fronting
on Center street, were a mass of
flames and It Is almost miracle that
the building did not catch fire on the
inside before the fre laddies began
throwing water.
A queer feature of the fire was tn"
number of explosions which took place
In rapid succession. while the fire was
making the most headway, AMI there
are a number of explanations. Dick
Hesser was for some time president
of the local gun club and he Is said
to have had large number of shells
stored in his building Others say that
1t was the cans of turpentine AMI
paint in the paint shop in the build
ing, and while another conjecture was
that 1t was the rain on the heated
sidewalk. At any rate the noise was
like a couple of gatling guns. and the
crowds scattered like sheep.
Buildings Uninsured.
The buildings occupied by P. Cid
dio. Mrs Gray and Dick Hesser be
longed to Tom Foster. He had then
insured up until Thursday of las'
week, when he decided that his in
surance was too high and dropped it
The buildings were not worth more
than $500 or $400 each, and he had
intended to 1ear them down soon ant
rebuild. The Sing Lee laundry build
ing was owned by Mrs. George X
Dunlop. mother Of Mrs. c. c. Gise Of
this city. 1t was half adobe and wa:
worth little.
Mrs. Gertie Gray and daughter MIN
had been sleeping in a room In the
rear of their chill parlors until little
over a week ago, when they moved
out and thus saved their clothes an,
probably their lives They lost fine
piano and all of their furniture ani
restaurant equipment. Mrs. Grey car
ried three hundred dollars insurance
She says that she closed up at i
O'Clock and that there was absolutes!
no fire In the building.
Pete Ciidio lost everything in hi
tailor shop. including a couple of sew
ing machines. stoves. clothes. cloth