Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-28
DAMAGE now
ESTIMATED
AT $4,000
Three Stores Partially Ruin
ed by Fire Late Satur-
s.~
day Evening. ),

Cured by the fire which late Saturday
evening destroyed large parts of the
stock In Gets Piano company, the
jewelry store of o. o. E;ystad. the
tailor shop Of n. Nordlund and the
office of DIR. Olaf Bentzon, place the
total loss at approximately 10000
instead Of, as first reported. at $780,
900.
The latest estimate was made by
Chief of the Fire Department John j.
Fitzgerald after he made a survey of
the premises.
Gets Piano company appears to be
the heaviest losers, nearly all of the
pianos in the. store being considerably
damaged by both water and fire. Some
Of them cannot be repaired. but there
is a possibility that a few can be re-
built at some extra expense. Prac-
tically all Of the Victrolas and records
iii the store we're destroyed, but the
musical instruments stored in the
basement Of the building have not
been damaged. MI. Gets said today
that at this time it was not possible
to estimate his loss win any accura-
acy. but Chief Fitzgerald thought it
would mount to about $4,000.
Jewcary Shop Hard Hit.
Jeweler o. o. Rystad's stock of
"oNSASo "Au JO"StiS wac uolAA06ou w
an extent of about $4,000, according
to the revised estimates. and the
goods in the Nordlund Tailor shop,
damaged as much by water as by fire,
represent a value of. probably $4,000.
The work shop back Of the store was
slightly damaged by water, but the
fire did not extend to this part of the
building.
The offices of DR.. Olaf Benton on
the, second floor of the building did
not escape the flames. and damage
about $1,000. The damage to the
building itself was placed by Chief
Fitzgerald at about $1,000.
Origin Obscure.
Despite the fact hat investigations
were carried all day yesterday and
today with a view to ascertalnlng the
cause of the fire. it has not been pos
sible to definitely find out how the
fire started. 1t Is reasonable to sup
pose. from a survey OF the building.
that the flames may have started III
the back of the jewelry store and
swiftly eaten their way through the
partition into the adjoining store of
the Colts Piano company on the right.
The tailor shop which is a part Of the
jewelry store from which it is not
ANpN w: LILY poi eAIsOi4s dPP~oA0 "
have, been enveloped by the fire just
about as soon as the destruction be-
gan in the Rystad store.
This morning all the damaged ar
ticles were practically untouched;
they had been left undisturbed since
the night of the fire. and it was pos
sible to see how thoroughly the fire
had done it's work although it did not
rage for more than about one-hal1
hour.
! Burned TO Crumbs.
Large rolls of cloth were burned to
crumbs. and that which was not burn
ed was drenched with water. This
was true of the materials placed or
the counter as well a. of that being
shelved in the back of the store. Sew
eral complete suits hanging in vari
u parts of the store were completed.
destroyed. s'.'
In the counter Of the Rystad store
were a number of valuable gold ar
ticles which were all damaged and
many were entirely beyond repairs
Every watch and clock in the store
was destroyed.
The fire broke out about II O'Clock
Saturday night. and was discovered
by Susie Mizisin in the IL. X. Gels,
store on the opposite side of Third
street who Immediately gave the
alarm. -.
The fremen quickly extinsuisheG
the flames, but the thick smoke hin
dered their efforts to reach the fame.
further back. Masks were used BY
the frenen to combat the SMOKE.
Entrance was gained into the real
Of the building, and water played or
the flames from this end. On the
second story. where the blaze worked
through shortly after the fire was dis.
covered, the flames were quickly got
ten under control. BY 1880 a. m
the fire was practically extinguished.
One resident. living in the apart.
ments above the Benner and Begs
store. had just retired when III
thought he smelt gas escaping. HI
arose to shut the transom of the
door, when he noticed smoke pouring
into the room from around the radi
ator. Believing that the building wa.
ablaze. he was about to leave by the
fire escape in his "negligee." but {
neighbor in the next fiat stopped him
A frewall separates the two buildings
Mr.. Nordlund. proprietor of tn,
tailor shop, left the building abou
10 o'clock. leaving his two workmen
Malstrom and Enger. in the shop"i,
the rear Of the building, while tn,
store rooms of the Gets Piano com
pany were not vacated until abou
1920 j.. m. The q%uickness will
which the blaze started was astonish
ing.
A fire breaking out in PRACTICAL.
the same place two "a las
March. caused Il large loss Of prop
erty. Approximately the same amour
OF damage was done Mt that time a.
in the first Saturday night, in each o
the three establishments.