Dear Friends,  Some wonderful news!  Apparently the news of Bob Maes'
loss was greatly exaggerated, even in the newspaper story.  This is
being pieced together, but below is the latest 'inside' info forwarded
from piporg-l.

'Thank God,' is all I have to say, though the loss of the Maes'
personal possessions is still terrible.   Whew! :)

Ron Yost, Paso Robles, Calif.

 - - -

 Subject: Maes' fire
 Author: Allen Miller, Z-Tronics, Inc.
 To: piporg-l@cnsibm.albany.edu

I am posting this to help dispel all the rumors, including those from
newspaper sources.

My information is second-hand from Jack Moelmann, who has talked
directly with Bob Maes.  Jack also had talked with a customer of Maes'
who had rushed to the scene to see if his organ was also lost.  Both
conversations yielded the same story:

No organ parts, complete organs, console, including the Roxy, were
lost, or even apparently damaged.  I repeat, the organ parts are
intact.

What Bob Maes and his family lost, unfortunately, was a lifetime
collection of personal items.

The fire was across the street.  I understand that Maes' warehouse was
a concrete building, his apartment occupying the second floor.  When
the building across the street collapsed, it sent embers and burning
timbers flying in all directions.  Some of these went through windows
or a window of Bob's apartment and started a fire there.  Bob's mother
got out of the apartment safely, but everything on that floor was lost
to the fire.

We are sorry that Bob and his family suffered such a traumatic loss,
but with the organ parts still intact, Bob will be able to continue
with that part of his life.

This should be a lesson to those who collect and hoard parts, historic
objects of any kind.  One flying ember can wipe everything out.  I
think in particular of a collection of just about every remaining Mills
Violano Virtuoso machines all in one warehouse.  How many more such
examples exist?  Organ Clearing House comes to mind.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket!

Allen Miller <ztronics@tiac.net>
http://www.tiac.net/users/ztronics