The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-07-06
Philips PYROTECHNICS.
A Display Yesterday That
Took Place q Week
too Soon,
And Came Near Destroying One
of the Finest Bulld,ngs
in the City.

About half past twelve yesterday, a larg
quantity of fireworks ia the front winsio,
OF z. l.. Phipp- Il CO.. grocery, on ia
corner of Fourth and Ohio street,, tool
fire, from some unknown cansp, and for few
minutes it looked A. th"ngh the elegan
building would .oon be = u,a-s 81 rIin-.
The FIRST noticed of the fire was by
couple 81 young men who were standing
on the opposite side %; the street, in Trux
lie door. At that time they saw q sm al
blaze in the corner ii the show window
IL took but few seconds for the flames Il
extend to all the material adjacent, and
the window was soon all ia a blaze. A.
the fsme- spread the alarm was given and
~ the different articles exploded there
were loud reports which gradually
became more like the firing of mu-ketry.
A rumor soon gained currency that guam
thy Of gunpowder was stored in the build
ing, and for . time many did not care TO
get within q stones throw Of the burning
building. The large panes of glass we're
broken, and smoke broke forth in dense
volumes, filling the street for the distance
OF block. Before the fire department ar
rived bucket brigade had been doing ex-
cellent service, and the fire Was nearly
under control before the boys put 10 their
appearance, 40 they were requested to
desist from thrOwinS a stream into the
store room, thus saving no small amount
from damage by wsier. After the glaze
WAS broken il wac a sight to see
Roman candles, sky rockets, ETC.,
shooting from the window into
the streets in every direction, while num-
Der shot upward into the ceiling aud into
the back part Of the room. where they net
FIRE to some combustible material, thus add
ing to the excitement The fire in the diff
ferent parts of the building was finally
extinguished, and then commenced surmi-
ses - 10 the probable origin, a majority of
whom seemed to think it the result Of spon-
tsne0us combustion.
This morning BAzOo representative
called at the store, and had q conversation
with the proprietors. They were in the
dark u much Others, but als0 entert ain
ed the idea above stated. Mr.. PhiPps said
some people thought kitten that Was in the
store was the cause Of it, AS the feline had
been seen in the window only few min
utes before the flames broke out. Ii might
have scratched around among the differeat
Or icles Of fireworks and thus ignited some
one Of them, hut il was hardly probable
that such was the case. The combustion
theory Wa the only one entertained by
him.
As to the loss on stock and building, Mr. |
Phipps WAS unable to. state the exact
amount, but 81 co. would more than cover
it. he thought. He holds policies Of incur. |
snce in five different companies, ~ will br
made safe in the long run.
During the time the fire Was in progress.
y light rain was falling, but notwithstsnd |
ing this the streets were thronged with Pe"-
pie. who wsded through mud and rain 10
zee all that was 10 b. seen. The building
is one Of the finest in the city, and to the ef-
icient work of the bucket brigade may t~
attributed its rescue from the flames.