The Rice Music Store Burned
Wellsville Sustained a Fire Loss of Over $30,000 Saturday morning. Library damaged by water.
Wellsville, NY, January 17 – The F. D. Rice music store block at the north end of Main Street was completely destroyed by fire which was discovered at about 4:30 Saturday morning. The Rice Music Store occupied the first floor and basement and the Fraternal Order of Eagles the second and third floors. The fire is supposed to have caught from the basement furnace becoming overheated and it gained a good headway before discovered and, being a wooden interior and brick veneer, was a stubborn fire for the firemen on this severely cold morning. It was three hours before the flames were subdued but the splendid work of the firemen kept the fire within the block although in the three story Rice block on the north side the apartments on the second and third floors were filled with smoke and also the Wellsville Tobacco Company on the first floor and basement. They suffered quite a loss on the south side. The David A. Howe Library also was some damaged in the interior by smoke and water to the library proper. The loss on the Rice Music Store building will aggregate $12,000, with an insurance of $4000. The store contents, including a new shipment of pianos, will run into $10,000 with $3000 or $4000 insurance. The Eagles have a total loss of $2000 on their furniture, partially covered by insurance. The Wellsville Tobacco Company, carrying a stock of $50,000 in the basement and first floor, will have a loss of $5000 from smoke and water which is well-covered by insurance. There is considerable damage to the library building and contents from smoke and water covered by insurance.