The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-23
The Walker House Gutted.
Flames Also Sweeping
Through the Annex.
ROOMERS FLEE IN
THIN NIGHT GOWNS
G. r. Walker OF Winnipeg Uncertain
What Steps will be Taken-Ssruc.
ture Worth About 3ss, 900 with sla..
600 Insurance-Origin Unknown.

Fargo, ~. D., Dec. 23.-Fire starting
at s:46 o'clock yesterday morning
completely Quilted the opera house
block on Second avenue and Roberts
street. with a loss Of $4,000. estimat-
ed by Fred p. Walker. one of the own
ers. Insurance is $4,000. The build
Ing is owned by the Walker theater
company.
The fire is supposed to have its orig
IN the chimney. Those who lived In
the annex adjoining heard the names
cracking in the chimney but did not
know what the noise meant.
Mrs Robert Cory said she was
awakened by smoke and her husband
arose and turned on the lights. The
smoke by this time was so thick they
could not see across the room. Mr..
CORY then opened q window and the
names. having secured a draft. burst
from the chimney into the room.
Hardly had the firemen begun to
play the streams Of water upon the
flames than the ceiling fell with a
crash.
Occupants Of Flats Escape.
The sound Of the cracking flames
was better than the cry Of fire. It
aroused the occupants Of the flats and
rooms In the opera house annex on
the west side of the theater. The night
was bitter cold but there was no one
rooms
VINO hesttated about leaving the build
ing.
Some of them clad only in their
night attire. they ran down the stair
way to safety. One woman escaped
IN her night dress. She carried a baby
IN her arms. A young boy ran into
the cold clad only In his underclothes.
Men stripped off their overcoats and
| wrapped them about the refugees.
Thinks Fire Started Under Stage.
erland said he believed the fire had
started in the part Of the building un-
der the stage. This he said gave the
names great start. Sweeping
through the scenery in the rear Of
the building the flames soon reached
the roof and spread to both sides with
great rapidity.
At o'clock the flames had practi-
cally destroyed the Anex.
Walker Talks.
c. p. Walker arrived yesterday aft
ernoon from Winnipeg and in COM
pany with his brother. F. p. Walker of
Fargo. he looked over the ruins of
the old opera house and iscussed the
blaze.
Il don't know the first thing about
the loss as yet" said MIR. Walker.
The first estimate of F. P. Walker
"oS e1"oul So,VVV leSS IIldn IL appears
now. Our loss. I should Judge. will
run between $25.O0O and $4,000 and
the insurance was $4,000.
When my brother gave the insur-
ance this morning he was under the
impression that the building had been
reinsured. He spoke Of our brother
John, about one year ago suggesting
that more insurance be put on the
house but 1t was never increased.
Rebuild on Same Site.
I'VE shall rebuild on the same site
as soon as We can start work. 1t
would take us about four months to
complete modern opera house and
by that time the present season would
be closed but 1t would be ready for
next year. The weather is bad at this
time for building unless everything
could be enclosed. The city needs a
larger opera house.
Origin of the Fire.
"As to the origin Of the fre wa
are at loss to know. The building
was rewired throughout one year ago
last summer and according to the
specifications Of the Underwriters as
sociation. It cost US $500.
"The opera house was built in 1894
by a man named Hageman Of Chicago.
He owned considerable property in
the neighborhood of Second avenue
north and after the big fire of 1893 the
citizens gave him a bonus to erect an
opera house and he took the contract
and agreed to get tenant. The build
ing was taken over by our company
about ten years ago and since that
time the annex has been erected"