The Osceola times., 1886-12-18
TERRIBLE CALAMITY.

st. Louisa Half Million Dollars Worth
of Property and Two Precious Human
Lives Destroyed.
ST. LOUIS, Dec 1i.-At twenty minutes
past two o'clock this afternoon the fourth
floor Of the A. +, Shapleigh & Cantwel
Hardware Company's store, 4li-4lG4N
North Main street, caved In. The floor
was loaded with agricultural implements
and the break extended through the third
floor, loaded with shelf goods, and the sec
ond floor loaded with sample goods TO the
first. Whether the first floor caved in or
not can not be stated. In the basement
the boilers set fire 10 the debris, and in n
very few moments the entire mass was
burning. Most of the inmates of the build
ing escaped without injury or with slight
bruises.
The fire department was represented by
two engines and Hayes truck before the
alarm had ceased striking. and two
streams were Immediately turned upon
the building. The heat was intense,
and the engine companies as they
arrived busted themselves pouring water
on buildings adjacent. Water poured In
upon the hardware ruin seemed TO add 10
rather than diminish the fury of the
flames, and none but firemen could keep
positions within fifty feet of the burning
ouild'rs
About fifteen minutes after the fire be.
gan the front Of No. 400 North Main fell
exposing the burning refuse piled within.
There was not stick standing between
No. 4l0 and the south wall Of No, Az.
There was no partition wall between No.
4ls and No l21, tho flocrs being sup
ported by slender iron pillars.
The flames increased in No. 4l6,
when that portion of the front wall rell
and the remainder of the front wall
trembled. The increase of the flames
warned Chief Lindsay Of probable
spread, and eenerel alarm was sounded,
attracting the entire department TO the
sccpe.
John Beck, brother OF Mr. Beck Of Beck
& Marshall, was in the sample room at
the time the building fell, Vt is eaid, and
was killed, together with two customers,
to whom he was showing goods, Others
are said TO have been in the building at
the time Of the crash, and In the excite
ment it is impossible to learn how many
were killed.
Beck, the young uidn Nho, i Is said, was
killed, was the city salesman for Shap-
leigh d Cantwell, and was popular and
well-liked in the city. 1t is probable that
the men with him we're citizens of st.
Louis.
While Joseph Chambers, foreman of En-
gine company No. 6 was carrying hose near
the burning ShapleiRh building he was
struck on the head by some falling bricks
and badly injured.
Fireman RUSSELL of No. 8, says that when
he arrived en- the scene he saw man in
the third story Of Shapleigh a. Cantwell's $
with the flames all around. When he
looked up minute afterward, the man
had disappeared, aid he surposes re must
have fallen back into the burning building
and perished in the flames.
The value of Shapleigh & Cantwelrs
stock Is placed at s500,OW and it is q total
loss. The buildings belong to several diff
ferent parties and measure 125 feet on
Main street and 100 feet on Vine street
and were all four stories high. the loss
on the buildings will add bearly $4,000
moro 10 the total loss
The entire insurance ON Shapleigh d
Cantwell's stock is placed at $4,000
ST.. LOUIS, Dec. 13-The ruins of the
Shapleigh-C -Cantwell fire were visited by
thousands Of people yesterday, the streets
in the vicinity being thronged all day
During the whole of Saturday night
water was thrown on the smoking ruins
by the fire department. Several steamers
were Kept there until after midnight.
and then when the fire was signalled
''out,n two plug streams were turned on.
At Q o'clock yesterday morning Chief
Lindsay sent Engine Co. II and IS to tho
scene, and the work Of washing down tho
dangerous walls left standing from the
! day before was commenced This work
consumed about four hours, and
then the steamers were withdrawn
and the two plug streams left al
work, the object in view being to cool the
heated bricks and mortar which had fallen
into the cellar so that the work of clear
| ing away the mass and of removing the
bodies might be commenced. Chief Lind
says idea was to flood the cellars and in
that way extnguish every spark of fire
| The mass was still very hot and occasion
ally jet of flame and volume of smoke
| would shoot up several feet into the air
! having forced their way through thu
crcvices of the debris, A heavy
stream from one of the plug lines
would quench the blaze for few
minutes, and then II would break ou
! again in the same or adjacent place
| shortly after noon yesterday about dozen
men were put TO work under the direction
| Of Assistant Fire Chief Finnerty ant
some OF the mass was removed from the
| east end Of the cellar of No. AIS The
| steam and smoke that constantly arose
| from the ruins prevented effective work
however, and but very little was accom-
| plshed.
Late last night q reporter called ut Mr.
| \. +. Shapleighs residence on Washing
ton avenue, and asked Nj 5, IL he had
| heard that some Of his customers were
| iu the store at the time and were perhap.
| caughti the crash.
| Mr.. Shapleigh said u have heard The
| report that some of our customers wer,
! IN the store with Mr.. Clarence Beck, ouI
| city salesman, at the time, but that is I'M
| true and Mr.. Beck has so stated 10 me
| He and the customers left the building 6
short time before the crash"
''Do you believe that any others were
| burned except Palmer and Mahan"
"No; feel quite certain that they wero
| not | have not learned that there were
! any persons in the store other than my
/ employees"
You have had full reports from all ol
| your clerks on that point!'
Yes: most thorough inquiry fails tc
establish even foundation for the belief
that any others were caught in tiie crash. y
when and by whom viii the work OF
the removal Of the debris be commenced T.
"We will begin that work Immediately
tomorrow morning, and pursue it until
the whole ruin is removed
-
Asphyslatcd by Coal Gas.
CHICAGO, Dec. l3.--Tho Mcclure family,
mother, daughter and son, living at Maple
! wood. died frnm escaping coal gas Sninr.