Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-03-25
FLAMES LICK UP PROPERTY
Three Fires Start at Same Time in,
Widely Separated Sections.
NEBRASKA ELECTRIC SUFFERS
Damage to Extent of $4,000 Done at
1907 HRrney-Lumber Yard Loss
is $4,000 and Dry Cleaners
Fire Costs $4,000 More.

Three fires broke out almost stimuli
taneously yesterday afternoon between the
hours of and 3 o'clock in as many Sec
tions of the city, and 80 widely apart that
the fire department had all It could do to
respond to the calls and quench the flames
threatening thousands Of dollars worth OF
property.
An alarm was turned In from Twelfth and
Harney streets at 2:45. The Nebraska Elec-
trio company, which occupied the four
floors at 1907 Harney, was found ablaze
The fire had originated on the fourth floor
Of the building and by the time the de-
partment arrived threatened the whole
structure. Quick action on the part of the
department, which responded to a general
alarm, soon got the flames under control
and the adjoining buildings were saved.
The cause of the fire is unknown. On the
floor on which 1t started was stored a
! quantity OF electrical supplies, such an an
sulated wire, yardarms, brackets and other
fixtures, but there was nothing in the room
as far as Manager A. j. Munroe Of the
company knows, that could have caused the
blaze.
Mr.. Munro Of the Nebraska Electric COM
pany expressed himself as puzzled.
'I cannot understand how the fire origi-
mated" he said. Someone from the street
came running into the office shortly after
2 o'clock and told us that smoke was pour
ing out of the windows on the fourth floor.
About the time we got out on the street to
see for ourselves the fire department was
at hand. / would estimate the loss at
about $40, 900, for everything in the building
is ruined by either smoke or water. The
loss is fully covered by insurance"
Mo
flames in the rear of the building the smoke
became so dense that two of the flremen
we're nearly overcome and had to grope
their way to the windows and breathe deep
draughts of fresh air before they could re-
sumo their work.
Lumber Yard Blaze Starts.
While most of the fire department from
the downtown district was at work subdu-
ing the flames at Twelfth and Harvey
streets, a second alarm was sent in from
1901 Military avenue, and when those com
panies that could be spared reached the
place It was found that the Keys-Bullard
lumber yard was on fire.
Several streams were played upon the
, flames and they were soon checked. The
fire is thought to have resulted from a
spark from locomotive which passed
shortly before on the Belt Line tracks and
ignfted dry grass and rubbish. The little
tongue Of flame spread, reaching the
lumber yard and threatened the whole
place, Two carloads of lumber and car
load of posts were burned. The loss is
placed at about $1,000.
While the fire department was divided
and fighting fires in the extreme ends
Of the city a third alarm was sounded
This call came from Twentyfourth and
Davenport and when two companies ar
rived it was found that the building al
2l3, 215 and 217 North Twenty-fourth street
was in flames. The building was occupied
by the Elephant Faultless Cleaners and
Dyers and the portion at No 21S was com.
pletely destroyed.
Sam Bobatzky, the proprietor, was badly
burned on the hands when he attempted
to extinguish the flames.
BenEine for Cleaning ExpIOdes.
| How the fire started is not known. The
proprietor and helper were at work clean
ing clothes, using benzine They can only
account for an explosion from the fac
that a pile Of rubbish was burning severa
feet from the open door OF the building
Suddenly an explosion occurred and al
most Immediately the entire interior of thu
place was a mass of flames. 1t is esti
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