Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-09-02
Froug Store and Knox Wal ker Company Probably
 Largest Sufferers.
MAIN STREET FIRE
 OCCURS ABOUT NOON
Crowds Watch Firemen EXtingUiSh Eamaging Blaze Tn Retail Section Furniture Warehouse Destroy
 ed Early In the Evening.

Fire loss aggregating perhaps as much as $50,000 or $6000o was sui- fered by Pine Bluff business houses in two fires which yesterday visited the business section of the city.
 Actual figures were difficult to ob- tain from the individual sufferers, due to trouble in getting at invoices showing the quantity and value of the goods destroyed, but it is stated the estimates of between $5O,000 and S6O,G00 as the aggregate is not far wrong.
 Insurance protects the greater part of the loss, so far as the original value of the destroyed property is concerned, but in each instance, the statement is made that because of the increase in the cost of the goods since their purchase by the local houses, the insurance will not be sufficient to pay the cost of replacing the stocks destroyed by the fire fiend.
 The origin of both fires is yelled in mystery. Employees of the Froug store and the Knox Walker warehouse had left the places Cnly few min utes before the fires were discovered, and in each instance it was said ev- erything was in proper Crder and condition. Yet in those few minutes, the fires had started and had gained such headway that virtually the entire interiors of the Froug wareroom and the furniture warehouse were fur naces, when the fire department reached the scene.
 Noon Fire Exciting.
 The fire which originated in the wareroom or stockroom of the Froug stores created much excitement, com ing just after noon, when hundreds of business people were off for their luncheon. There were many volun- teers to aid in moving stock out of endangered stores, and the streets were crowded.
 Some confusion in sending in the alarm sent the fire boys in the wrong direction, and they were delayed some minutes in reaching the neigh borhood of the Froug store, but when they did arrive, it was the work of few minutes only before they had three streams of water pouring into the heart of the blaze.
 The fire ill the Froug warerOOm, on the second floor of the building oc- cupied by Seawells drugstore and Miss Pearle Levey's ladies garment and millinery store, soon vas extin- guished, but the blaze had eaten into the attic, where it was difficult to conquer. It was finally flooded out, however, after being confined there for some time.
 FrOug's Loss Heavy.
 The loss to tie Froug department store is heavy, although not such as to interfere with the transaction of business by that big concern. MT. Froug was out of the city yesterday, but was apprized' of the fire by tel egraph, and likely will be home today or tonight.
 It was stated that in the wareroom was a great amount of goods recelv- ed in the very recent past, for the fall season, and the duplication of which will mean hard work and worry for the firms buyers, because of the scarcity of all such goods in the big markets. The store carries eXcep- tionally heavy stocks on its shelves however, hence there will be no in reference to it's daily business.
 The Seawell drug store was vir, tually ruined by water, which poured through the ceiling from the upper floor and worked great damage. The losa in figures could not be obtained last night, but it will be heavy.
 Much of the stock in Miss Levey's store was removed by volunteers, but the fixtures were badly damaged. Miss Levey is now in the eastern mar kets, and no estimate Of the loss could be obtained.
 Ed Levine & company suffered some loss through water damage, and the Brasher drug store likewise was damaged by water. but both these concerns continued business. the force of employees at the Brasher drug store having swept out floods of water before resuming operations after the fire.