A Memorial Day Blaze Nearly Takes the Block on Washington Avenue

The frame row of buildings on the east side of Washington avenue, between Third and Fourth streets, had another narrow escape from being wiped out by fire Monday afternoon. Several bad fires have broken out in this row and numerous small blazes have been put out without sending in an alarm, but so far property owners have been fortunate in escaping serious damage.

Monday afternoon, while the business houses of the town were closed on account of Memorial Day, and a large part of the population had either gone to the ball game or sought the woods or other places to enjoy a half holiday, fire broke out in the kitchen of the Little Gem restaurant, G. E. Cozon, proprietor, situated in the middle of the block. By the time the alarm was sounded a big volume of smoke was ascending and it looked as if a bad fire would result.

In a remarkably short time members of the fire company and volunteers had water turned on, and within fifteen minutes the flames were extinguished, having been confined to the building in which they originated, with the exception of some damage to the north wall of the Smith restaurant building. The Heisner building, on the north, was just catching fire as the water was turned on, but it was quickly put out.

The Little Gem kitchen was totally destroyed and the dining room wrecked by fire and water. The Citizens' Electric Co., in the same building, also suffered considerable damage by water and the handling of their stock of fixtures. Mr. Cozon carried insurance to the amount of $650 on the restaurant fixtures and an addition which he had built onto the main room. Mr. Kelly, owner of the building, carried no insurance.