The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-03-24
DEVASTATION.
THE CITY IN PERIL
afwHIRLwIND on FLAME.

L
RTCs-sfERcANTILE ROW, SHEETS HOTEL.
| AND THE MARTTNDALE BLOCK THE PRIV
THE FIRST TWO RUINED AND THE LAST
| DAMAGED BADLY-THREE HUNDRED THOU
SAND DOLLARS SWEPT AWAY IN AN HoE2-
1 SCENES AND INCIDENTS-EaE oRIGIN-IN-
l SURANCE AND Loss.
Indisnapolis was startled as it never has
been before. last night eyse fire, which at
one time threatened to sweep thnngh
entire squares. About seven o'clock il the
evening, Mr.. John r. Firmin, who was
coulzng3own Pennsylvania street, nea5 Va
jen's bleck, saw the refectioa of the flames
on the buildings opposite, and Thea dis
covered them, starting from yagen'stuild-
| ing in the third story, and about in the CEN
| ire. He ran with utmost spee1 to
engne-beEse No. s., On Massachusetts, ave-
nue. and gave the alarTa. Within the space
of lightDipg's flash the fire had spread to
the fourth story and its light could be seen
for squares around. A strong westerly
/ wind was Allowing at the tiRes and showers
Cd sparks were spresd 4eesterly "heyond
Delaware street falling on hundreds
of buildings beyond Hardly ten minutes
/ passed be10re the block was mass of
, hsma. Prem every window and door long
4 brig IGer than that OF day. Then followed
great waves of flame, Oneuzging on another,
and fu ri0Hsfy rushing into every part of the
building, senshrouded it Till was nothing
but t&e outlines of the building could be
seem Above il, rolled dense volHsles of
snolse. hiding all sight On the sky,, and
reaching further and furtherup asthe frame
and weed week fed the ragen06s appetite of
the monster fire. Probably ten snIiautes
elapsed from the first sign Of rfSTeIuutil the
Kill Id
eral one); though IL was but afew.seeOnds
tsefoseSzo.,5 arrived and soon satter other
Companies followed. Before this the light
from the burning buildings and tiseir re-
fieetiOnsOnthe sky aroused the whole city.
FROM 'eSery>eR1rter, rushed osOwds of peo-
pie Those preparing to atbeSa1 chsssoh those
at supper or Just arising fro1a The table, as
though seized with a common impulse,
made their way towards the terrible~ scene.
Market Gtreet, the Circle, Ohio between
Meridian andtLelaware, were each and all
black with thathousands who crowded and
-jostled and pushed in Their eagerness.and ex-
t1teme0t TO get as near as possible.
Though the
naANssE20F APPROACHING
the BURNING buildilg on Pennsylvari@ street
was great ;itwas net great enough &c prevent
10 me from, rushing in where angels. or.any
Fl, me else fearedl to tread. Soon the flame
' NLlCh A&u iSoSl upWdEO ShOJ' Out
f ,am every part et the building and the
eat became intense even at a great distance.
L be- excltemsnt increased every mOment No
es rthly power seemed possible to check the
fiji e, it gathered torce every second, creating
"A AGrrent Od CIR thakZanned the fianies with
fea rTul intensity i The scene at this p9int,wss
sai rIy sublinlo. rThsss rches and ornamental
FRO nj, the eO-niaesaR1d every inch of the
-ac' de stood 'auti in splendor. The ysst
srn les Of spectators did Not watch the
i an 'es i'm silence. "Thas's going to-
sore sd ACROSS the street" Ghey
can't; save Louis ~ ang's. In another
az int tie that will be or fire." ".Go0d
God the whole square will burn" "Uhe
Jeur pal Office will suite yet" Lucky the
wind IS changed. "'Wky don't they put
mere water on the .otk er buildings said
ono. "Look out .for tss hose reel" cried
Others as it wished aloeg rapidly, scattering,
the gro vd like ehsff before the wind. TAeseil
and OF Ter cries aad sh0ats and running toll
snGEro of half distracted people made al
perfect pandeM0saium. On fences, in[.
h0esss, on hOssse tops sclang and clus- 4
tered men and boys, women and
childsen. About h2lfan hour after the fire 4
was firlS under way, the roof and under
walls beg an to treiflble then to totter and 4
finalE {, III with a laundering crashing 1
sound # hen as If feeling low strong they
were siss fl. smes reDaFxed thei- fury. Pieces !
Df bnnIing wood we<e caFriad high into the 4
air. and fe u two or ,more-Squares away.
Millions OF sparks fsoated with the thick /
smoke l;ght ing it uuti il, was as cloud and
pillar CT fl a. On Ohio. strest the danger
struck eonst, WlnatiOn into hopceholders. The
Wind which veered little to the north
was yet riolenJ and
THREATENED. TO sw9iysP THE BUILDINGS
rom Pennsylvania aSsnne to Delaware
treet. The first; dwelling horseback of the
nr hat
{ the direction the winf was not changed
Don his place nust also go, PREPARATIONS
or clearing out we're began. - hundred
leIping haBSs ere ready. The passage
rom the doors ben Bg insufficient 10 remove
IL the portable I property aEiekly enough,
ne front windows were forced ont ,,aHd in a
.ery short Ggae he rooms were mostly
t-ipped of evesythl ug except the paper on
be wall. In frort OF she hoslse. on the walk,
az pieces OF 6-okt N glass, ,e-ockers- and
toneware. The Hgh - inside shower the
oans on the fSst Il, ,or TO be empty. In ,
be next house tJRat OF Mr.. M0rcis Eddy, I
scenes we're enacted. &furnltEre, {
alE ables, buckets full Of every conceivable
onsehold article were being taken out .snd {
arrisa to neighbos,ng houses segond the q
each-ot the flame O. spa rks. The Sire hsy 2
ng begun before che usual un1e for {
hurck services, very few hast, as '
et left their homes. rs before stately a
seemed possible and pro 5Able that Chrisl d
ian Chspel would be one OF the buildings a
D suffer- Considerableesf the church fsaFni1 g
are was therefore removed Inc small soxgan I c
cling taken out and plaead in a house across
DO way In the residences OF Mrs. Dr. Y
urin and Mrs. Andrew Wallace this house, "a
OLD goods and gods we're also taken 4
ut. Peope we're all employed in i
liking away the wagons. wheels and q
odies of wagons, &cs rom the N
tudebaker wagon establishment, on Della 8
are street, and being rolled away 70 places d
here there was less danger of heir de-
ruction. Over the market taM the sparks O,
showers. and many of the passers-byI ID
ere forced to turn back and wa Nix another b,
Iuare away. For some time Nsafter The e.
rea king out of the Dire, it was Thought that W
le Journal building must share the fate OF 81