The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-11-26
BIG FIRE IN
GROCERY STORE

Z "A fire which was discovered in the
d basement OF the Peterson G Lanclois
! grocery store. at the corner of Twen-
I ty-iourth street and Grant avenue.
shortly after o'clock last evening.
caused damage estimated at 81 900
For a time the flames periled the SIS,
600 stock OF groceries and the new
brick block owned by Thomas Broth
eTS.
The fact that the fire was diScov.
cred just before the store was closed
for the night probably saved Ogden
one Of the most serious contlagrations
in the history of the city. With a
northern gale TO fan the flames. it is
Impossible to estimate the result had
the fire not been confined to the room
In which il originated
With the fire augmented by several
gallons of gasoline which flowed from
tank at the very seat OF the blaze.
the iiremen are deserving Of great
credit for having conquered the flames
without greater property loss
The origin of the fire has not been
definitely determined Carl L Peter
son, a member of the grocery firm, Is
of the opinion that il was due TO de-
fective electrical wiring on the ceiling
of the basement Chief Garfield be
lieves, however. that the fire orGi-
mated from a match or cigar stub
thrown on the floor,
He Is positive that the blaze started
near the floor and burned the sup.
ports from under the gasoline tank,
allowing the highly inflammable fluid
TO run out on the floor The exact
amount OF gasoline in the tank cannot
be determined Mr.. Peterson claims
that the tank. which was a 60.gallon
receptacle. could not have contained
more than five or six gallons hut Chief
Garfield is OF the opinion that the
tank must have contained nearer 30
gallons
The gasoline carried the flames
throughout wide area and the base
ment was a seething furnace when
the firemen arrived on the scene. Sew
eral streams of water. together with
chemicals. were trained into the base
ment, and It was necessary to flood
the large room before the fire could
be eXtinCuished
In the basement was the greater
portion of the $4,000 stock carried by
the grocery firm. and the damage 10
these goods by smoke and water will
exceed the damage by fire The en-
tire first floor of the building was
filled with smoke. but the damage
above the ground level will not be
great
The building was only slightly dam
aged Several of the wood supports
were burned off. allowing the first
floor to sag slightly Any loss as Il
result OF damage to the building is
completely covered by Insurance and
the loss on the stock is partially COW
cred by insurance.
Mr Peterson stated last evening
that the winter stock Of groceries was
practically all in. and the appearance
Of the basement bore out this asSer-
tion The stock is undoubtedly one OF
the largest, if not the largest. carried
by any firm In the city. and the large
basement was completely filled with
boxes and bales, there being scarcely
room for person TO pass between the
cartons OF goods stacked from floor TO
ceiling
lie also stated that had the fire not
been discovered until after the store
was closed for the night he would
havo expected tho enormous stock TO
be complete loss. TO say nothing of
the damage to the building and fix.
tures.