Roaring Flames.
The Furniture Store of Harper, Heisner & Co. Destroyed by Fire this. Morning.
Richter’s Museum also Burned and all of the Animals Perish in the Flames.
What was once one of the largest and handsomest stocks of furniture in the valley is now a total loss. About 8:15 this morning a fire alarm was turned in from the region of the Fraser house. It was the block occupied by Harper, Heisner & Co., the Bay City telephone exchange, Commercial bank, Postal telegraph office, and the center stere by William Rich-er, of Saginaw, as a museum, for the past week. The fire started in some she is back of the furniture establishment. The stock was arranged on three floors, When the fire department. arrived the latter store and the south store room ocerpied by the museum was a sheet of flames. A general alarm was given and six steamers were soon turned on the fire and the roaring flames gralually subdued; but not until the stock of furniture had been gutted, the bank injured by water and the museum entirely destroyed The Postal telegrah office was gutted and the operators forced to open a new place. The Central telephone office was not damaged so that service had to b. stopped. H. Wilsor, connected with the museum, had a narrow escape with his life. He was asleep under one of the tables in the front part of the room. Andrew Hagadon rdiscovered the flames in time and rushed to where he was sleeping and dragged him out. Together they seized some of the animal cages, but the smoke was so oppressive that they were forced to drop the first one and make for the outside. Among the animals burned to death was an ape, valued at $4,000, two white-faced apes, Mexican rattle, ring tail monkey, two Russian wolves and others. Stuffed animals of every variety were totally consumed. Indian relics secured from the national museum at Washington are a total wreck. Nothing remains of the vast collection but charred remains. The cries of the animals were pitiful to hear.
The loss to Harper, Heisner & Co. will be $6,000, exclusive of insurance. The total value of the stock was placed at $15.000. two-thirds insured. The loss to William Richter’s museum cannot be replaced for $10,000. The damage to the Commercial bank ard Postal telegraph office will be $150 each.
Few of the offices in the front part of the building were damaged.
The block itself will have to have new walls and floors and the damage will amount to about $10,000.
