A Fire

Tilo fíame have once more wruught leitrucllon here, but with Aun Arbor's accustomed good fortune tlie blaze wasconfined to structures that weie of unall valué. Saturday morning at 0 o'clock a fire was discovered in the littlc office occupied by J. J. Collins as a wood yard office, on Hurón street, opposlte the city buil. WUoii firüt discovered tlic fiaines had made but littlc beadway, but owiug to the extreme cold tlie firemen were seriously enibarrassed in getting a stieam of water on tlie llames; so not only Collins' office, but tlie store adjolning, oocupied and owned by Fred J. Sclilede, as a book bindeiy, statlonery store etc., on tlie íirst floor, and the university co-operative store on the second floor, were destroyed. The shoe shop of J. J. Poster, on the west, was also burned up. It niade a prctty hot fire when it got thoroughly going, and jtiít as the engines got to woik the cistern was found to be empty. Mr. Schlede had considerable of bis stock saved, but much of it in a damaged condition. 1 Lis loss on the building was fully covered by insurance, $000, and a. policy of $900 on conteuts will probably make good that loss. The co npprntive itore in the second story liad quite a stock of books, etc., burned up, plaeing their loss at $1,500 with $1,500 iii8iirance. Mr. Collins loses about $200, with u insurance of $100. Mr, Foster lost many of hls tools and some stock. Loss estimated at $100 witli no insurance. Mr. öchlede had added a second story to bis building last fall, to accomodate the co-operative society. The land where the buildings were was leased froni Lucy W. 8. Morgan, ind it li diiubtful if the council will allow any more wooden tinder boxes to be put up tliere. Consequently it is probable that there will be a vacancy on that córner for several vears to come. The fire is thought to have been the woik of an incendiary. Perhaps gome member of tlie comroon council can solve this problem : What is tlie use of establishing fire HmlU, and then peiniitting wooden fire traps to be erccted to endanger valuable property? The fire of Saturday mornlng was a warning to the city fathers. Had the Haven block been burned, good authorities say that the city could have been held responsiblc for the damage. There are other notable instances where similar fire brandt are endangering valuable property. Two in particular, the city hall building and the postofflce building are both placed in jeopardy from fire by little woodcn structures put up by permission of the common council.