New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-12
FIRE AND RUIN IN ST. LOUIS.
SEVERAL LIVES THOUGHT TO BE LOST.

AN OVERLOADED BUILDING COirAPsEs AND
FLAMys THAT CONSUME $75O,O0O FOLLOW.
ST. LOUIS Dec IL (Speciat. The tour-story build
ing occupied by the A. +. Shapleigh Cantwcl HARD
ware Company, of the most extensive establish
ments of this kind in the city, collapsed few minutes
before o'clock this afternoon and was followed by
fire that made a clean sweep of half block IL Is
rumored that half dozen lives lost, but the e1-
ctemrnt is still so great that nothing definite can be
ascertained The fire Is still burning fercely in the
ruins aud the damage from this element alone will
foot up $3.50, 1000. The hardware company occupied
nearly halt the block Manst., between Locust and
vine from No. 412 to 422 North Main-ss The COM
pany carried the largest stocks the Southwest
aking speciality of guns, hunters outfits and barbed
wire. They recently received heavy consignment OF
goods from the East and their warehouse on the
opposite side of Main-s overcrowded. II was
decided to put the ne stock the third and fourth
floors of the bnilding which they occupied as store
salesroom The building Is one Of the oldest m the
business portion of the city, but competent architect
after Inspection said there was no danger ana he
work OF transferring the hardware o the upper moor
went on. A hall called iour days ago.
The company employs nearly 100 clerks and sales
men aud the majority OF tuem were at lunch to-day
when the disaster occurred. At the hour indicated
crashing noise heard the fourth fooi, the walls
bulged and the frightened employees on 'he hrst noor
who realized what coming, rushed coatess INTO Ihe
street just in time to avoid terrible death ne
rumbling noise vas followed by loud rero ort and the
fourth floor went plunging downward carving every
floor with it to the basement. Several employees
state thot there men at work on the thru anu
fourth floors and that they had opportunity TO escape
The collapse followed by the hre The fury OF the
flames increased by the sastrons explos ons OF
gum Iowder and cartridges. The portion OF the build
ing at Nam and Vine ats. was blown down and TWO
tremen injured The ceItrdge explosions were kept mp
for an hour and as missiles hurled in all direc-
tons it extremely dangerous work for the tremen.
After destroying the hardware establishment the
Aa,. ad Roth a. IN "a Uh
house. 1he stock and building were DESTROYED and j.
j. Beakeys wholesale stove and tinware house al o.
40S North Main-st., next attacked. Inc STOCK
was cons erably damaged by water and fire, but the
building Was saved. The Shapleigh and Cantweil
Hardware Company carrV $50O,OOO insurance. ihe
building they occupied was owned 10y the Slate SAVINGS
Institution Bank and was valued at $loOooo
Rothan g. Co. are insured for only $4,000. and
Beakey a. Co Tor about $4,000. search OF the
ruins for the employees supposed TO be killed Will be
made as soon as the ruins cool of sufficiently.
rwo clerks and a porter in the hardware establishment
arc missing and believed to have been killed and
burned In the ruins. All the others have reported lne
missing men Arthur Palmer. age twenty-five, re-
Gently from England Charles Reed age nineteen OF NO.
3l29 North Twentythird St, and John Mahon porter
age fOrty-fve
Joseph Frlong clerk jumped from the third story and
fractured his legs and Joseph Carpenter. clerk, was
badly bruised and number OF other clerks were
and bruised. and the narrow esrapes were numerous
About minute elapsed after the first indication OF the
collapse until the whole building was in ruins III was
this minute that saved the lives OF q score.