The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-09-02
Originating in the Norris
Grocery Store, the Fire
Burns West Damaging
the Jones Building
ORIGIN HAS NOT
BEEN DETERMINED
CASl0NED WHEN ETREMEN
misunderstood CALL;
ADJUSTOR HERE

Electricians say that the build
ing occupied by George Norris
was very poorly wired and thc'
fire could have been very easily
caused from that dangerous
source
The west wall Of the Jones
building leans toward the inside
two feet and il seems that the
old structure that successfully
stood the explosion has fallen a
complete victim 10 the ravages
OF fire, The walls up 10 the
second story are two feet In
thickness
DIR. A. T.. Adams. who has had
his office in the Jones building
since il was first constructed 70
years ago carried an insurance
policy Of $1,000. His loss Is es-
timated al much more than that
The fire department misunder.
stood the call this morning and
went 10 the Williams-Poe store
ON North Washington street be-
fore the department learned the
location OF the blaze.
Fire at $50 this morning was
discovered In the Norris Grocery
store and before il could be put
under control the building and
stock were total loss and the
Jones building located to the west
and occupied by Henry Baum
and others Is also practically q
total loss. The mammoth store
Of Westheimer and Daube to the
east was saved by "A fire wall
which gave II complete protection.
How the fire started Is not
known. II may have been caused
by the rats with matches and n
may have been caused from the
electric wiring according to n
statement by George Norris.
owner Of the grocery stock. Mr..
Norris has stock valued Mt
about $4,000 and had insurance
Of $4,000.
II s stated by the police who
were nj the scene early that the
back door was closed but wa not
locked when they reached the
building.
Started In Ceiling
The fire started In the ceiling nea
he rear OF the store Just TO III
west and opposite the point OF orisi
s,as tn 'tudr OF Van webb, locate
IN the upper story Of the jon,
the lower oor OF whic
was occr pied by ticn,y Baum with
stock of goods Nj. Webb's place
totally ruined IN. fIe c:cpt clcy
across the Aulli.aS and purrci OF
the wirdows on the west side facir
on Mill street. Up stairs in the san
building were the offrices Of Dr. A.
Adams. who has suffered sever
loss. Also the offices Of Dr. J. l.. Co
who Ia now with his family on Wis
to Canada. Or W. g. Snin has h
offices on the second floor Of u
Jones building and what he had thcl
Is loss.
The total loss will amount nppro
imately to 100000.
Henry Baum who operates q stol
in the Jones building had a stoc
worth sos. 900 He ~ Of the oplnio
that 1t Is practically total loss fro
smoke and water His stock consist'
chiefly Of womcn's furnishing goo
and 1t b. probable that he viii su
tain an additional loss In a delay
getting back into business.
Old Land Mark
The Jones building Is two ator
stone structure with new ado
tlon In the rear built Of brick. tn
building was constructed by r. Y
Randol Immediately after the big III
In 1895. 10 was one OF the land mari
Of the city, II was one OF the fo
In the city that went throuF
the explosion In 1915 without hnvlr
to be rebuilt How much lnsuran
was carried on the building could n
be- learned. II IS now tho property
J. VI. Jones and he stated tha, he HI
not investigated his Insurance 30
cics but that some insurance W
carried Mr.. Jones stated that Il VI
probable that the entire buSdir
would have TO be- razed and even
not the entire upper story VIII ha
TO be- rebuilt In case Mr. Jones
builds from the bottom tho chunc
are that he Will erect a much nan
somcr structure than the old buildii
az the location is a very desirable or
Another sufferer from the fire "
Miss Dalric Gray whose stock OF MI
merry was located In the Henry Bau
store. Her loss has not been det'
mined but it was severe
The building occupied by ocor
Norris where the flames started "
owned By Mrs. L. o. Spencer n
Frank Frensley This building had be
recently improved. a new front h
been constructed and u was q crc
10 the main business section Of
city.
The upper story of the Jones bui
Ing Ia badly warped from the =
and police are keeping the crow
back. The wind II blowing and
walls are likely to give way. 7
season of IN eeauinox u close at ha
A..