P.H. Heffron, 2020 Sherman avenue, Evanston, places his loss as the result of the blaze which wrecked the top floor of the Heffron block yesterday a week ago, in excess of $15,000. He also announces that he will have reached at least a tentative agreement with the underwriters and that prompt repairs of the building will be made for the convenience of tenants who were driven out by the deluge of fire and water which so seriously damaged the building.
So far no intelligent explanation has been offered for the fire, which broke out on the second floor at 1:30 o'clock Wednesday morning and despite the flood of water poured into the seething cauldron of flames by the Wilmette and Evanston fire departments, swept from end to end of the building. The lower floors were damaged only by water.
Chief Steiner says, after a week's investigation, that the fire "looks suspicious," but that nothing definite has so far been discovered which will establish either the incendiary or the spontaneous combustion theory as a fact.
The First National Bank of Wilmette is still doing business at its temporary quarters at 1141 Greenleaf avenue; while William Kaplan, the ladies' tailor, who, in order to save his property on the night of the fire, set everything out on the pavement, was back at his old stand a few days after the blaze and has been on the job ever since. Sam's Restaurant, owing to the lack of protection from the weather, has been unable to reoccupy the former quarters and hence the restaurant has been closed since the fire and will remain so until the necessary repairs are made to the building. Sam's individual loss was something over a thousand dollars, which was not covered by insurance, it is estimated. F. J. O'Reilly, the grocer at the corner, 637 Railroad avenue, estimates his loss at about $2,500. He also is unable to reopen for business until repairs are made to the roof of the building. Heffron is reported to have informed his remaining tenants that this work would be done immediately.
