The Dickinson press., 1912-02-10
$4,000 FIRE
ON FEB. 9TH

Can't Reopen Store. Dick
inson Mercantile Co. Has
Smoke and Water Loss.
Probably the worst fire in the history
of Dickinson occurred Sunday. morning,
February 4th. when over $40. 900 worth
of property was destroyed as result
Of the Cartwright 6re on the corner of
Sims and Willard streets. The alarm
was sounded just before O'Clock and
within short time Chief H, J. Gruschus,
Foreman Roy Henderson and Assistant
W. j. Littlehales and men were on
hand. The fire alarm is attached to
Supt. Littlehales' sleeping apartments
in the Greene house on Sims street.
and it did not take him long to get out
and ket into action. Night Pumper
Earl Akenhead also has an alarm at
tachment at the city water works, and
started the pumps at once.
The fremen found the fire in the
basement of the Cartwright store very
hard to get at. 1t was we'll under way
when they attempted to make an en-
trance through the hatchway in the
sidewalk east. the dense cloud Of smoke
and stored material making it almost
impossible to force an entrance. Three
streams were put in action and it was
not long until the basement was flooded.
However, the flames seemed to shoot up
between the studding on all sides. An
attempt was made to pull down the
north portion of the two-story structure.
but with the help present this was i'm
possible, and the firemen used theil
energies in keeping the flames within
the bounds of the building.
The water and smoke soon commenced
to pass through the basement wall into
the. Dickinson Mercantile Co.'S. brick
store adjoining. flooding stocks kept ir
the basement and rendering. q smoke
damage to stocks on both floors above.
1t was nearly five hours before thu
water was finally shut off, and it wa.
found that about 12O. 600 gallons had
been used and there was still eood
supply in the tank on the hill. Ths
city we'll at the hall had not beer
touched.
It was bitter cold night, mercury
registering 10 below at the government
station. and the fremen were covered
with ice at times. They were. made
more than welcome at the Dickinson
Mercantile Co. store from which place
hot coffee. mittens and everything pos
sible for their comfort was passed out
No one knows how the fire started
1t may have been from an overheatet
furnace, electric wires, ashes in cam
in the basement or spontaneous com
bustion. There was almost no wind
and it was extremely fortunate tina
the flames were kept from breaking
into the Dickinson Mercantile Co. store
otherwise the frame buildings occupies
by Geo. Berzel and I. j. Greene woul'
have been in great danger. The worl
of pumping the water out of the base
ments was started at once and kept VI
for several days.
The rear of the building is down an,
the first and second floors in the nOrtl
section are out, and the structure i
considered a total loss and unrepairable
1t is q landmark, having Deen erecte'
by Eph. Seaman in the fall of 1888
and used by him as saloon. Th
building was erected in the street. no
far from the present site of the electri
light plant, and the following sprin
it was moved to the corner of Sims an
Willard streets where it has stood fo
about 29 years. A Mr.. wright succeede
Seaman in the saloon business. with
barber shop in the rear. In April Q
1885 the late A. C. McGillivray sue
ceeded Beckett & Foote in the stor
business, and later came Currie (
Crowl; subsequently it was:J. W. Currie
D. S. Alley &. Co. came up next an
the j. C. Cartwright Co. was followe
some two years ago by W. II. Giesle
man who was the principal stockholdt
in the Cartwright Co.
E. C. Cooper of the St. Paul and A
E. Perry Of the Commercial Unio
arrived Wednesday morning to NAL
adjustments. W. H. Gieselman, pres
dent of the j. C. Cartwright Co.. opene
his safe and found his books and If
voices intact and it did not take hil
long to satisfy the adjusters that b
was entitled to the full SIS, 900 insul
ance carried. The adjusters also CAV
him the salvage. The January invoie
showed S21, 700 worth of dry goods an
shoes on hand. Figuring depreciatio
at 81, 900. this left q net worth ,
4 . /. +. L. - . =