The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-03

BURIED IN THE RUINS
Seven Firemen Killed and y Million Dollars
Worth of Property Destroyed.
Special to the Indiarapoiis Journa&
BALTIMORE, Sept. Zone of the most dsas-
trions fires, both to life and property, that has
occurred in this city for many years, broke out
at half past o'clock this morning at No. 109
South Sharp street, and, Spreading with great
rapidity on either side, destroyed seven fine
four-story iron and brick-front buildings on
Sharp street, and the back buildings of nearly
the whole row Of houses on Pratt street between
Sharp and Hanover. The north wall of build
ing No. 100 Sharp street collapsed about $50 A.
NJ. and buried nine OF the fremen. Two of
them, Al Eek and John Kelly, were taken out
alive, but very badly injured Seven were
killed. Their names are:
GEORGE BOWERS, THOMAS WAGNER,
PERRY SY, RYAN, RA JOHN AGoMB.
GEORGE KERINS
The losses will aggregate about 81 ZOO 900, upon
which there is insurance of $500, 600. The
heaviest losses fall upon John King, president
of the Erie Railway Company; Edward A. Prior
& Co., j. Fl. Winkelmau g. Co., NJ. s. Levy 8
Son, Dobbs, Nudge g. Co.. Tabb Bros. g. Dim
mock, and Kenry S. King 6 Sons.
The fire continued until about IL o'clock,
when it was got under control The engines
are still throwing streams on the smoldering
heaps Of ruins, however. The buildings on
Sharp street. from No. los to III, were swept
clean, nothing being left standing except the
'front.' The rear building OF the Maternite, on
Lombard street, was torn down TO prevent the
fire from spreading further. The inmates Of the
institution were all removed quietly. The firms
of Tabbs Bros. e. Dimmock and Prior also had
large supplies of gun and revolver cartridges in
stock. About $50 A. NJ. they began to explode.
and for quarter Of an hour kept up fusillade,
the bullets going through the windows on all
sides, but fortunately nobody was shot, with
the exception of one man, who was slightly
wounded near the left eya Shortly beforss
o'clock the members of No. engine company
and No. 2 truck entered Tabb Bros building,
intending to cut holes through to No. 100. Those
on the street saw that the side wall Of No. 100
was beginning to sway and called to them TO
come out. All of them were fastening out,
when the treacherous wall fell over, aud, crash
ing through the floors of No. 107 buried
the unfortunate fremen under its great weight.
Then al efforts were concentrated upon the pile
of ruins under which nine human beings were
writing in torture. The groans Of the men
could be heard from within this living volcanic
tomb. for it had now taken FIRE and was belch-
ing forth jets of flame. Half a dozen strong
streams were turned on the pile, and the flames
within were in a short time subdued. In few
minutes John Kelly was rescued His left eye
was burnt out Of its socket and his head badly
mashed, but the surgeons say he will recover
Then. Al Eek was dragged from the ruins. His
right arm Was broken and his eide badly in
jured. The others. however, were beyond hope,
and their dead bodies were taken out one by
one. all maneled, torn and burnt. the last one
being recovered late tonight All of the seven
dead fremen leave families to mourn their uu-
timely end, except Harvey Walker, who was
single man.
1t is impossible to get anythinc like correct
list of the losses and insurance tonight, but the
following estimates are made: Wylie, Bruster
& Co., No. 1O3 Sharp street, dry goods, loss,
$4,000; insurance, $4,000 Stespacher 8 Stern,
No. 103, shirt manufacturers. loss, $1,000 i'm
surance, S20, 600. Coffin, Altemus s. Co.. No. lo3,
loss, s20,0 insurance, $4,000 j. Il. winkel.
man g. Co., No. los. Wholesale druggists, loss,
s75,000 insurance, $4,000 Tabb Bros. & Dim
mock. No. 107, hardware, loss, $45 900; insur-
ance $50, 900. Edward A. Prior & CO., No.
100, importers of toys. fancy goods and hre-
works, loss. 100000; insurance, 100000.
ii. s. Levy G. Sons, No. Ill, straw
goods, loss, s50.000; insurance, $4,000.
Dobler & Nudge. No. 113, paper manufacturers,
loss, $40, 900; insurance, 500, ,000 Henry s.
King Co., No. ll5, hardware, loss, $40 00c;
insurance, $50, 900. W. T.. e. Z. Damman, No.
1l5, cloth merchants, loss, $4,000; Insurance,
$4,000. Hirschberg, Hollander & Co., No. log
West Pratt street, oils, paints, etc. loss, s5O-
600; insurance, SIC, ,oOO John King, president
Erie railroad, four buildings, loss, $50. 900; in-
surance, full. Other real estate losses, sl20 0OO
insurance, full. The losses sustained on Pratt
street are divided between q large number of
shop-keepers. Nine-tenths of the insurance is
placed In companies in the North.
The origin or the ire will probably never be
known No fire was used in the Prior estab-
lshment, and it is supposen that spontaneous
combustion was the cause, but il is known that
system of electric lighting was introduced in
the building recently which was only tried last
night. and 1T may be that defective insulation
started the flames and the combustibls nature
| OF the contents of the building served as food
for the destroying elements. The
fire was discovered by an intoxicated
man who stopped to rest on the
steps OF building opposite There
alarm, and when the department arrived the
building was in flames from the cellar to :ne roof
| The explosion that caused the collapse os tho
| Winkelman building, by which the firemen lost
their iives, the result OF the ignition of some
| chemicals. and was so sudden that, though the
| men were warned they had not time to make
| their escape. At midnight the firemen are still
hard at work searching for bodies. 1t is known
| that at least three are still in the ruins but
| they cannot be recovered tonight as they are
| buried beneath tons of debris