Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-11-21
FIELD & LETTERS
Palace:R :Retaill store Destroyed
by Fire.

l NraIi es-.~ - ND~o - o0AS -
Palace: :Reaaill store Destroye
by Fire.
Loss on Stock. and Buildin
elti.s 81, SOC, 900.
CHICAGO, Nov. IA fire broke on
in the upper story of Field & Letter
Extensive retail establishment, corne
State, and Washington streets, a
| 8 80 tonight. The fire is still rag
ing at 2 o'clock.
~ ss THE PARTICULARS.
| At8:05 this evening an alarm o
fire was sounded from the corner O
State and Washington streets, fir
having been discovered IN Field 4
Letters retail establishment. BY
fatal mistake nobody was at the bo,
when the firemen arrived and the,
were misdirected to another building
and had almost concluded that
false alarm had been sounded, whel
the flames were seen bursting from
the upper story Of Field & Letter
large store.
BY this error of Judgment fully
l5 minutes were consumed, and tn,
fire had gained much. head way be-
forc the first stream was directed up
on it. The origin is in doubt, some
saying 1t began in the pressing stove
and some that il was first found in
the loft above.
BEYOND CONTROL.
$40. At this writing the fire il
still raging, aud seems TO be beyond
control. The roof of the building
has just fallen in, and it looks as II
the building and entire stock viii be
lost.
1t quickly communicated, by means
of the open elevator hatchway, with
the lower floors, and at 10 o'clock al
most the entire stock of dry goods
was completely destroyed by fire or
by water. The building seems to be
completely gutted, except on the two
lower floors which remain less ipiur-
ed than the others.
An accident happened to the fire.
men by which one was killed out
right and four others were taken
from the ruins SO badly hurt that they
will probably die. No list of the in
surance can be given tonight, but
the loss willbe estimated and sent as
soon as possible.
The fire originated, according to an
eyewitness Of its incipiency, near the
sfOvc and nrohahIv from IL at tho
north elevator, and was spread not
only by the elevator but by the light
SHAFT In the middle of the building,
which extends from the garret to
the basement, and is 4Ox6O feet in cx-
tent.
The building was owned by the
singer Manufacturing Company, and
cost when built some five years ago,
Tl3O,OO, and is worth now at least
half million.
The walls which were impaired by
an earlier fire have mover been as
strong as they should be and are now
so shaky that they will doubtless
come down. The building NAV he
considered vcrv nearly n total loss
The stock ia variouslv estimated AZ
from thrcc. Quarters of a million "a
$I. 800 900.
The manager Of the retail depart-
ment saws ,here was n retail stock i'm
the store of tbree-ouartcrs Of n mil.
lion dollars. and from quarter to y
half million of thc whoiesale stock
stored IN the basement. The insu-
rance on the building is NOT known.
and is stated to be over two hundred
thousand. and is placed by q New
York agency. The stock Is bel;evcd
to be insured for at iesst two-tbirds
Of its value.
Accidents were numerous. and
scarcely one Of the firemen escaped
without bruises. The following are
the known casualties Chas A. bud,
Low. of San Franc;sco bnt fnrmarlv !.
Chicago fire company. which he was
assisting Tonight. killed: a watch.
man in The building. name unknown,
Killed lieutenant j. II. Shanenberg
4 Injured dangerously, informally
Francis Flanagan, internally hur
and asphyxiated, dangerously; II. G
Payne, (colored) fireman, head, Sc
lverely; jerome Baylcy, policeman
badly hurt about the face and hands
The following are missing: John r
Ronrke and Eugene Sweeney, pipe.
men are supposed to be in the ruins
but possibly may be alive Pat Smith,
an employe, was hurt badly by fall.
ing timber which struck him on the
head. The injured arc more or less
burned. The injuries, however re-
suit largely from the falling stairs and
elevator, which fell on account of the
breaking Of the rope. Three mer
were under il, and two were proba-
bly, killed. Three hundred and fifty
persons are thrown out Of employ.
ment by this disaster, and ofthem l5(
are women employed as dressmakers
filters, etc.
Mr. f1eid furnishes the following
statement to the associate press:
The lire originated In sort Of
room Just aDoVc tne n'tn story. IL
oIis.n canho. oe accountco ,or on
any theory. cniy one man Is known
" nave oeeh kiiieu outrign' ana M
couy was recovered. lie was tht
fireman NV whose name mas already beer
scn.. Inc Ioufth anu nitn stories are
sHl,eu' inc STOCK cntireiy consumed
ahu 'he masonry worthless. Inc low
er tnree stories may pe repaired at
considoefapie outlay, butlt would ot
nearly as cheap anu SAFER 10 tear tht
whole structure down and built
anew, ihe STOCK OF the lover storleI
Is almost entirely destroyed by watel
put some OF 1t may De worth 70 CT
on the dollar. Ihe package goods IL
the basement are less injured, but no
near intact' rerhaps Sloo,OO WORT
oi gooas were carried out. the stool
Wnoiesaie ana rctali, was worth from
V9cV,UUU 70 $l,2UlUU, put probabl,
nearest the former ngure. There
was insurance OIL *9oo,uOO on the stock
MT. fleld says the retail depart
ment VIII DC resumed as soon as suit
able quarters can be obtained.
CHICAGO, Nov. 15.-Sloan's insu
rance agency reports concerning th'
loss by the fire last night, that tn,
building is estimated by architec
Bauman, as damaged less than 500,
OOO, insured for O,OOOin New Yorl