Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-24
CAUSE OF BIG
FIRE IN PIANO
STORE PROBED
Pearson Company and City
Firemen Are Seeking
Information.

Efforts to determine the origin of the
fire which started in the basement Of
the Pearson Piano Company, 12s North
Pennsylvania street. and caused damage
which may exceed $4,000. were being
made today 10y officers Of the police and
FIRE department.
In spite of the damage. which was
caused largely by water. proprietOrs Of
the stores announced there will be only
4 shorr interruption of business.
George c. Pearson. president Of the
piano company made it plain that the
company was in a position to continue
business, as IL has five branch stores
from which shipments can be made. These
stores are located at Shelbyville, Column
bus. Muncie KokOmo and Anderson.
The losses, all covered by Insurance
are Pearson Piano Company, 100000;
George c. Pearson Realty Company,
owners If the building, $4,000; Indian
apOliS Talking Machine Company, 1874
North Pennsylvania street. $4,000; Rob
inson Optical Company, 134 North Penn
sylvania street. loss not estimated; A.
q SpauIding Company, 1856 North Penn
Sylvauia street. slight water damage;
Hart Shoe Store. 126 North Pennsylvania
street 5000.
Five persons were injured while
fighting the flames but are all reported
to be recovering.
All the injured were either firemen or
members OF the salvage corps. William
Savage, TO2 Elm street. q member of the
salvage corps, suffered injuries about
the back and legs. He is in the city
hospital today. Physicians say he win
recover. Vern II. Earle, go Lexington
avenue, salvage corps, was cut and
bruised on the head and shoulders Guy
Hickman, pumper company No. .. was
overcome by gas. Harvey J. Keppel.
1402 East New York street. headquarters
company No :. was overcome by smoke
N J. Mulvihin, 1913 North New Jersey
street, pumper company No. .. overcome
by gas.
Both Mr.. Pearson and the represent
atiyes of the insurance companies pointed
Out that it is almost impossible at this
time to estimate the loss. as the nature
IF the stock is such that the merchandise
IS easily damaged by water However.
many of the pianos and talking machines
)n the third and fourth floor at 132 and
l34 North Pennsylvania street. used as
storage rooms By the Pearson company,
<ere not damaged.
When the fire was discovered q great
crowd of people was attracted 10 the
scene. The police had difficulty in keep
ng the people far enough away so the
iremen would have room to fight the
DANES. Clouds OF smoke poured from the
'front.' and back of the four-story build
Ing. Three alarms were sent in. Fire
Chief O'Brien. who was attending a show
with his family. was called when Assist.
ant Chief Hoyle turned in a second
alarm.
The water tower and two large noZzles
poured thousands of gallons into the
building every minute and the flames
were under control in less than one hour.
z. w Scott. manager Of the Pearson
COmpanys advertising department. was
on the third floor Of the building when
the fire started He had narrow escape
from being overcome by smoke. He had
considerable trouble in reaching the first
floor in an automatic elevator The
smoke was so dense that he did not stop
to open a door, but escaped through a
transom and ran across the street to
turn IN the alarm.
The first floor Of the Pearson store
was the sales room. The second floor
was occupied by the Duo Art department.
The third floor was the sales department
Cor the used goods. There were more
than 600 pianos stored in this part of
the building and the water damage to
these was heavy. The fourth floor was
the repair shop