The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-09-26
RAVAGES OF FLAMES,
DESTRUCTIVE CONFLAGRATION AT
LOUISVILLE. KY.

Over Two Million Dollar Loss I'm tho
Wholesale District-Five Fircmen Meet
Their Death in the Flame Chicago and
st. Joe Expeditions in Blaze.
A Louisville (Ky.) dispatch says: Six
lives were lost and over So, 200, 0pO
worth of property destroyed by
fire which reduced the large wholesale
dry goods and notion house of hamburger,
Bloom & Co. to ashes. The biggest house
of any character in the city is that Of
hamburger. Bloom & Co., wholesale dry
goods and notions. Their immense store
stood on the south side of Main street,
between Sixth and Seventh, and was six
stories high
Private Waterman Charles McGrath dis
covered fire in the cellar of the building.
The Waterman gave the alarm quickly,
calling out the entire fire department.. In
the meantime the fire had gained great
Roadway.
hamburger, Bloom & Co. were stocked
from basement to roof with dry goods Of
every description and thus furnished ma
terial for the flames. It was evident at
once that the big building was doomed and
no efforts of the fremen could save it, In
an hour it was complete wreck, carrying
with it a loss of $4,000 in stock and
$20O,00D in building and fixtures. Next
door to hamburger, Bloom 6 Co.
was 5Ae wholesale boot and shoe house
Of William Coye & Co., with a
stock of $4,000 This was burned
out from cellar to roof, but the front walls
stood. South of this, on the corner of
Main and Seventh, the st. Charles saloon
and restaurant was Quilted at loss Of
So, 600. Immediately east of hamburger,
Bloom & Co. was the wholesale hat house
of L. Bretzfelder & Co. Their building
was four story brick. The flames made
quick work of the hats and caps, and left
nothing of the building but skeleton.
The saloon of Isaac Bier and the Wholesale
cigar store of Virgil Wright, Immediately
north of Bretzfelder & Co., were Quilted.
Their loss was comparatively small and
was covered by insurance
The sensational feature of the fire was
the tragic death of five firemen. They
were Capt. Ed Early. Samuel Stark
lighter, John Onahan, Ed Wheeler, and
Pat Foley.
In the face of imminent peril they had
run ladder up the Seventh street
wall of hamburger, Bloom & Co.'s build
ing and had boldly scaled it for the pur-
pose of getting a stream on at the rear.
The wall shook as they assembled the long
ladder trembled ominously, ar'i the crowd
in the street shouted hoarse warning,
but it was too late.
just as the first ladderman was about to
leap upon the roof with line of hose the
wall fell with great crash and the three
brave mon went down with it to their
death. An hour later their mangled and
blackened corpses were gotten out of the
debris and sent to the central police station
for the inquest.
Firemen Denny McGratn, Frank Best.
and Edward Wheeler were caught by a
falling wall in the rear and are believed to
be fatally wounded
The scene of destruction was CHASTITY
and appalling. hamburger, Bloom & co.
did a business of SIS, 90, 600 a year. and
were in the midst of big fall trade. Their
loss of 81, coo, 600 is covered by insurance
in local and foreign companies, and they
will loss nothing except their fall business.
The total loss is about 81, 500, 900, and the
insurance companies will stand the biggist
part of it.
Chicago dispatch: A red fake of carbon
sputtered from an electric light in the
booth containing Gossage's Co1s exhibit in
the exposition building. The spark lit on
napkin, and feeble flicker soon ap-
peared. In moment the blaze ignited
other fabrics and in less than a minute
500, OO0 worth of the finest linens, silks,
and embroideries was ablaze. The booths
in this part CT the building contained the
exhibits of Marshall Field & Co., Gossage
q Co., James Fl. Walker & Co., Schles.
niger & Meyer, the leading dry goods
houses of Chicago. Many pieces of costly
fabrics imported, and having no dup1i-
Gates in this country, were on exhibition.
Costumes from Worth's furniture of the
most exquisite make, pianos and frail
stained glass pieces, were near by. In the
building was $500, 900 worth of valuable
goods and machinery, and within 200 feet
more than $500, 900 worth of paintings and
statuary. Rarely was so exquisite and
costly spread laid before q fire.
Ten thousand people were in the build
ing, and 5000 lost their wits. The big
doors In the center were wide open. and
the people near them stopped to watch
the fire. Those at either end of the build.
ing and farthest away went wild. They
smashed windows, climbed over each
other, and burst open doors Several
ladies tainted and were bruised in the
crush, but no one was reported as seri-
ously hurt.
The fire was quickly put out. The
janitcr of the art gallery closed its doors
before the alarm was sounded, and not the
slightest damage was done the works on
exhibition. Except the booths in the inn
mediate vicinity no damage was done
either by water or smoke. The tarpaul-
ms and the care OF the fireman prevented
the usual destruction by water and the
smoke drew out of the skyllghts like
chimneys.
st. Joseph (Mo.) dispatch: The main
building at the New Era exposition, con-
tanning all the fine exhibits burned Sum
day night. About 1890 o'clock in
the evening, just as the entertain
ment in the great ampitheater had
closed, fire broke out in the main hall.
e magnificent building, 100 feet in length
and filed with all manner of exhibits. The
entire building and contents were con-
sumed in spite of the most heroic efforts on
the part of the fire department.
1t is understood that nothing was
saved but the carriage which was
built to convey Gen. Lafayette during his
visit to this country in 1912. The exposi-
ton grounds are located two miles from
the city, and at this hour details Of the fire
have not been received. The origin of the
fire is said to have come from the electric
lights. The exposition will continue but
shorn of its vast exhibit in the main hall.
The loss will exceed quarter of million
dollars