A fire which originated in the Fabric Cigar Store, Broadway, Mauch Chunk, at 9:15 this morning, destroyed four stores entailing a loss approximated at $100,000. It was the most disastrous fire in the history of the town and took five hours to contain. Besides the three Mauch Chunk companies, the firefighting equipment of Lansford, Summit Hill, Nesquehoning, and Lehighton was on hand. Other stores damaged were the Paradise Confectionery, the Charles Dolan Post American Legion, and the Mauch Chunk Art Company.