A big fire in Brockport destroyed much of one of the blocks in the Village in early 1917.

THE BROCKPORT REPUBLIC

Thursday, Jan. 4, 1917

BENEDICT BLOCK AGAIN ON FIRE.

Friday morning about eight o’clock when Joseph Ryan, clerk of the Gordon shoe store opened up for the day he detected a strong odor of smoke. He immediately turned in an alarm of fire. In the meantime, Louis Patrou in the Beuerlain clothing store had also discovered the smoke and traced it to the cellar door, and by the time Mr. Ryan had rushed to the Beuerlain store both sides of the building were fast filling with smoke. Both clerks were able to carry out several record files but by the time the firemen arrived the stores were so filled with smoke that ir was difficult to work. The cellar does not extend to the rear of the building and the only entrance to the basements is by means of trap doors about twenty-five or thirty feet from either end of the stores. It was almost impossible for a fireman without a helmet .to work inside for more than a few minutes let alone attempting to enter the basement

Chemical was poured into the cellars and for a short time it was thought to have quenched the fire but in the meantime the firemen had worked their way rapidly to the rear of both stores on the first floor and Chief Benedict was obliged to order the water turned on about ten minutes after the firemen arrived. There was seven streams of water playing on the flames at times which kept the fire inside. The fire was at no time a spectacular one as no blaze could be seen, but the shelves were charred. In the Richards shoe store goods were damaged by smoke and water and A. C. Dagnar’s new shoe repairing machinery was badly damaged. Records and book were damaged and several trunks and some articles of furniture belonging to Miss Germain and Miss Page were carried out of the building. As this is the second time these people have experienced fires while lived in the Benedict block, they have the sympathy of their many friends as their misfortune.

Mr. Beuerlain was on his way downtown when the fire was discovered and Mr. Gordon was out of town and arrived home at noon. The fire left the Beuerlain stock an almost total lose and Mr. Gordon’s loss lose was a very heavy one. His rubber stock was entirely destroyed and it is stained that it is almost impossible to replace rubber supplies at any price now a days.

It was only about three years ago that the Benedict block was the scene of another fire which apparently started in the same manner.