Arizona republican., 1910-08-22
COMPLETE DETAILS
 0F HUMBOLDT FIRE
It Was the Most Destructive Fire In the History of the Mining Town.

prints the following account of the big fire at Humboldt A telegraphic dispatch concerning the ire was print ed in yesterdays Republican but a fuller account will undoubtedly be of interest to many readers.
 Humboldt, Ariz., Aug. 19.- This city suffered the most destructive conflagration in its history this even ing, when a fire breaking out of the basement of the building occupied jointly by the Shumate X Co. con fectionery store and pool room and the Francis Miller store, destroyed property of an estimated value of between $5O,OOO and s75.OOO. Shu- mates, the big general merchandise store of the Francis Miller company. and five other business houses, were entirely wiped out, and it was only by the utmost exertions of the citi- zens that the flames were checked and prevented from burning Dr. Toney's hospital, F. T. Mitchaefs residence and the cottages owned by the Humboldt Improvement company
 So quickly did the flames envelop the Shumate store that even the money was not saved. and the fire simultaneously seized the Francis Miller store. and inside of fifteen minutes it was a mass of ruins, the books only being saved.
 Adjoining on the east was the this, with the residence of butcher Ed Sparks, in the rear, were the next to succumb Then the Guidon barber shop. formerly conducted by Ike Reigle, quickly melted, together with the Ricketts boarding house, which was owned by the Arizona Smelting company There is an open space between the boarding house and the hospital and this proved an the hospital caught on fire, the flames were extinguished by means of wet blankets and water, and the same measures saved the Michaels resi- dence. --.-
 While the fire was spreading east ward, the heat was so intense that the Ricketts rooming house. across the alley from the Francis-Miller store, was ignited, and was ablaze soon after the store was in flames. It was a total loss, and with it went the Chinese laundry. situated in the rear. The building occupied as a boarding house, was also owned by the smelting company. It was only half hour after the fire started that the greater portion of the busi- ness section was d mass of ruins
 All of the business buildings on the north side of the street escaped.
 Those on the south side, that were destroyed were frame structures and on the majority of them the insur- ance companies would not carry a risk
 The stock of the Francis Miller store. valued at over $10,000. was in- sured for s3,50O, and the fixtures at 8 900. The building is owned by the Head Lumber company of Prescott and q section of it was occupied by the Shumate company. The iatters loss is $500, covered by about 5OI per cent insurance. This loss does not include about $500 in cash which was hidden away in box in part of the establishment. The cash reg ister, containing about $20, was car ried out.
 It could not be learned tonight whether insurance was carried on the Head or boarding house build ings. although it is believed they were partially protected. There were sev- eral shacks and tent houses in the rear of the main business buildings, which were also destroyed.
 The cause of the fire is unknown It started in the rear of the base ment of the Francis Miller build ing. where old boxes are stored. It had only been discovered a few minutes when the floor of the pool room Tn Shumate's went down with a crash. carrying with it the billiard table
 Whether it originated on the Shumate or the Francis Miller side