The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-14


judged the blaze they had to deal with
The burning embers which fell on
the roofs of the opposite block
almost as thick as snowfakes did not disturb
the iremen because they knew that the roofs
were composed of material that would not burn.
They little suspected that the heat from the
burning buildings was great enough to set on
fire the wood work of the fronts OF the opposite
buildings, but that is what was done.
The first indication that the FIRE would cross
the street was when the large plate glass in the
windows began to melt from the powerful heat
The wholesale timers establishment of Tanner
d Sullivan was most exposed to the fierce
flames from the opposite side of the street,
and as the glass in the windows began
to melt and run down the walls the window
frames began to smoke. The crowd saw the
danger of the fire leaping across the street. and
called the attention Of the fremen to 1t The
men with the hose did not know.what to do To
abandon the block which was already threatened
with destruction meant that it would burn to
the ground.
There was few minutes delay, and then
Chief Webster divided the force. By that time
the whole upper front of Tanner g. Sullivan's
store was on fire, and it was so near the top
that the streams of water almost losttheir force
before they reached it. The hook-andladder
men were called into action. and attempted to
hoist their ladders to the third-story windows
for the purpose of getting better play on the
blaze One ladder was put up, and fireman
attempted ascend wirh a hose his shout
der. but before he had gone up a half-dozen
steps the heat from the or nosite buildings
drove him back. The iers had 10
be abandoned and moth was left to
do but fight the rapidly sprsadng fire among
the great wholesale houses on that side of the
street with half the companys and hose.
Even the divided force could do little work
account of many impediments.
The heat from the eastside block, which had
become a red-hot furnace covering half
square, drove them back every few moments.
Besides, the walls of D. P. Erwin 81 Co.'S build
ing trembling in the air and
threatening to fall at any moment
Burning embers fell like haistones, and
the brave firemen who stood between the
two CONGREGATIONS did SO at the risk of their
lives. Several times portions of the wall from
the east side fell into the street with awful
crash, and often it reported that q fire.
man had been buried beneath the debris, but
the reports oily rumors There were
dozens of escapes, but through the
watchfulness Of the firemen of the various COM
panies all accidents were averted.
The strong east gale blew the fire directly into
the open windows of Tanner & Sullivans third
story, and the three streams of water that
kept playing the outer wall seemed to only
feed the hungry flames. When it
seen that all work from the front
would be useless, the chemical men
entered the building from the rear with hopes Of
staying the progress of the flames in their on
ward course of destruction, but they found
themselves unable to even reach the second
story on account Of the dense smoke that
blown through the entire block. Gradually
the fire ate into the center of the
building. and in fifteen minutes after
the first smoke appeared on the outside the
tire inside Of the store was ablaze. Suddenly
the entire roof became q mass of fire, and a
blaze rose in the air that equaled the that
had by this time wrecked the buildings the
opposite side of the street The
force of that had by hard work
got the fire on the east side under control were
drawn off, and all were put on the threatened
of huge business blocks on the west side
of the street Every available stream of water
was turned to Tanner & Sulivan's burning
building, but the wind getting stronger
the work seemed to be utterly Intellectual.
Pearson e. Wetzel. the wholesale dealers in
glassware queensware and crockery, occupied
south, and the firemen, when they that
nothing could be saved to Tanner & Sullivan.
turned their attention 10 staying the blaze from
penetrating the walls of the queensware store.
Like all their other efforts of the night it proved
unavailing
While dozen streams of water were playing
on the buildings, the walls adjoining Tanner 6
Sullivan began to crack, and it was but short
lapse of time until the flames penetrated the fs-
ures, and the red glare in the front windows
told the thousands of anxious people who had
hoped the building might be spared that it.
like the half dozen great stores that had
preceded it to destruction, was doomed. The
fire. following the course it had taken in Tanner
& Sullvan's building. RAPIDLY spread to all parts
of the store, and all attempts check it were of
no avail.
In fifteen minutes from the time the fire en-
tered Pearson & Wetzels place smoke began is
suing. from the mammoth five sto ry- building
occupied by C. B. Cones, Son & Co., one of
the largest manufacturers of overalls
IN the world. The block was an old one
and seemed to be of material more nfiammable
than any of the other blocks. 1t took the flames
but few minutes to completely envelop it, and
AS the fremen saw it was doomed to destruction
they made little effort to save it.
Chief Webster saw that all the department
could do to adjoining property,
and nearly all the hose were drawn off the
buildings that were hopelessly under fire, and
turned to attempt to prevent any
further spread. Adjoining Coness
overhaul factory the south was
Lewis Dessar's wholesale and retail
clothing house, occupying the three stories of
the building The building entirely sepa-
rate from the overall factory. and nearly the en-
tire force of firemen put to work in at
tempt to prevent the fro from communicating
to it. Their work was in vain, however.
for if lake of water had been
emptied into the business block it could not
have prevented further spread The flames
leaped to the still unsmoking clothing house,
a. ID