The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1910-01-20
Conflagration Monday Night at
Grangeville Department Store.
WATER DOES DAMAGE
Four Firms Lose in Fire Bad
Storm Raging.

Fire was discovered in the Grange
vile Department store Monday eve
ming about 9:15 O'Clock by Chief of
Police VIM. Ingram who Immediately
sounded the alarm.
For over two hours the battle be-
tween the fire fighters and the dense
smoke and smouldering flames was
fought and when the building was
finally declared safe from the con-
flagration the immense stock of the
store was almost wholly damaged by
smoke and water. Thousands of gal
Ions of water were thrown into the
building from the hose in the hands
of the fire fighters and the damage
from this source was of much mag
nitude. This was, however, the only
manner of gaining control of the con-
flagration on account of the density
and amount of smoke. 1t was i'm
possible for the human eye to see
any distance and the suffocation from
the smoke was terrible Men could
remain in the building only short
time and under these conditions the
exact seat of the fire could not be
located and fought effectively at
first
partment store, according to F. r.
Morgan, the bookkeeper. is practi-
cally a total one. The value of the
stock carried was estimated at from
$4,000 to $35, 900 and the amount of
the insurance thereon about ST 900.
The loss sustained by The Vogue
millinery, conducted in the balcony
by the Misses Shafer and Brown,
amounted to a few hundred dollars.
About $400 was the extent of dam
age done in the meat market con-
Quoted by e. S. Sweet & Co., while
the grocery stock of Sweet & Wright
suffered considerable from water
That the fire did not result in uni
versal loss all over the city is
deemed by many to be from the
greatest good luck. The fiercest
storm of a dozen years past was
raging at the time-a hurricane of
wind and driven snow-and had the
fire ever gotten out of the building
the whole town would have been at
the mercy of the flames. But the
men who fought the fire did their
work well, slow as it was. There is
no occasion for criticism. They
worked to control the fire and they
were successful. No one could have
done more.
Fearful lest the flames should
break out from the building the tlx
lures and mail was taken from the
postoffice and stored in safer quar-
ters. The Limit cafe was alst
stripped of it's furniture, dishes, etc
All along Main street business mel
were ready to pack up valuabeis
from their respective stores and OF
fices and HE them away to safety.
The origin of the fire is a mys
terry. Some of the help employed II
the store had left only short TIM
before the alarm was given. Practl
cally all the damage resultant IRON
fire, however, seems to have oeel
done on the west side of the stor
and it may be possible that the con
flagration originated from the stoV
there. At no time, according to seN
eral of the men who battled agains
the smoke, was bright flame o
fire seen.
"Smoke."
The postofsice fixtures reposed
few hours In the new Evans buildln
on east Main street after the nr
but were brought back to the Oh
stand yesterday. Monday night
mail was distributed while the offlc
was located at the Evans stand an
several citizens experienced the no.
city of getting mail there.
The wind was blowing up an
down every street in town Monda