The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-06

stroyed the large three story double
store Of Erik Brothers Saturday
night. Stock, fixtures, etc, to the
value of $4,000 were lost. In
surance to the amount of $4,000 on
building and $4,000 on contents
was carried
The sirene whistle at the electric
! light station sounded at 1880 D. m,
followed Immediately afterwards by
the alarm which distinctively told
that the fire was below the Wayne
! County Savings Bank and conse-
! quently in the third district.
That the fire was of an incendiary
origin is general belief because
Councilman John Erik, one of the
! firm of Erik Brothers, told a Citizen
representative that he went through
the building himself as was his habit
every night, to see that everything
was all right before leaving.
In describing the location of the
boiler, electric wiring, turpentine,
! kerosene and linseed oil barrels
! from where the fire was first discov-
cred by Henry Hartman, who went
to Micheps restaurant from where
the alarm was sent in, is almost con-
elusive evidence that it was more
than spontaneous combustion. At
| the landing of the flight of stairs in
! the basement of the south part OF
the building is located three bar
rels or drumbs of floor dust COM
! pound. That was undisturbed. At
| the left the outside entrance where
lime, cement and other materials are
taken into the basement, stood a
tank containing 100 gallons of kero-
sene oil which had been placed there
Saturday, and alongside it another
barrel of linseed oil. They remain
ed intact as did also a barrel of tur-
pentine few feet away. The cleo
trio wiring was installed from the
front of the building there being no
wires in the immediate vicinity of the
fire. In the upper cellar, about 40
feet from the seat of the fire, was
the steam boiler. 1t, however, had
nothing to do with the fire, being
divided form the south apartment by
a heavy wall. Mr. Hartman said
that wnen he was returning home
Saturday night near the freight de-
pot he smelled smoke. He went to
the front of Erik Bros store and
peered through the front door, but
could see no light other than the
night lamp, which is always kept
burning. Going around to the rear
of the building he looked and could
see no fire. Yet the smell of smoke
was strong to him. He had turned
away going down the tow path at
the rear of Menner's and l. B.
Browns clothing store. Retreating
his steps, he looked again around
the Erik building and STOPPING low
he saw flames coming out from in
under the covered porch. He said
have been put out with a little wa
ter. His first idea was to send in the
alarm and then get the water. The
gong sounded and it was scarcely a
minute before the truck of Hose
Company No. l was being hauled up
Main street. Leine's plug was tried
but it failed to respond at first. The
Delaware and Hudson hydrant was
then tried and it was frozen. Final
ly two streams were placed on the
Jadwin plug. In the meantime the
fire had gained such headway that
saving the building was next thing to
an impossibility. The first plugs,
however, afterwards responded and
. several streams were soon playing
upon the doomed building.
The fire engine was located at the
plug in front of the Union station
and the engineer and his assistants
did valiant service. The tempera-
ture was below zero and made 1t
hard to fight the fire.
After several alarms were given,
the fire companies of Texas township
responded, the Chemical and Alerts,
however, were among the first to
answer the alarm.
Ladders were erected, placed at the
nf ha hn IN
and volunteers responded to the call
! of help. For nearly four hours wa
ter was poured into the building and
the firemen succeeded in keeping
the flames confined to one building,
much to their credit.
The fire spread rapidly from the
start, eating its way from the base
ment to the first, second and third
floors. The south side of the build
. ing is down from the roof to the
, cellar and about twenty feet of the
rear of the north apartment is down
to the first moor. On the third floor
: were stored several gasolene en-
gines, stoves, windows, brooders and
incubators, plows and cultiVators.
! When the third floor gave way, ow-
I ing to the heavy weight, it crashed
down to the second, taking that floor
} and the first floor to the basement,
p where now lies a moulten mass OF
! twisted iron and metal. The second
floor contained a large stock OF
doors, glass, metal shingles, stoves
and miscellaneous articles. The base
: ment was filled with lime, cement
and other building materials.
The moor of the north side which
= remained intact, is impossible. Mr.,
Erik claims that his books are safe
The firm had just completed inyen-
tory He estimated the stock car
: ried at $4,000. On this amount
: an insurance of $4,000 was carried
Erik Bros. carry $4,000 upon their
r building.
The firm will rebuild, and are
making arrangements to-day to get
contractors to figure upon replacing
= the building. Erik Bros. enjoyed an
: excellent patronage and the COM
munity is sincerely sorrowful foT
I them In their loss.
The flames found their way to
! LNRA1 = Al n A.