The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-03
OVER A MILLION In SMOKE.
GOVERNMENT WAREHOUSE BURNED
Tho Central Warehouse at the Corner OF
Rush and N. water-sts., Chicago, With
Its Valuable Store of Teas and Cof-
fee Destroyed-The Losses.

CHICAGO, March 26.-The Central ware
house, at the corner of Rush and n. Water-st.,
took fire at o'clock this morning and, with its
valuable store of teas and coffees, was burned
to the ground, entailing estimated loss of
between s., $50, 600 and 81, 100000. The fire de-
partment had very hard task of it, but sue
ceeded in preventing the flames from destroy
ing the great Galena grain elevator of Munger,
Wheeler & Co., and other buildings in the
neighborhood. The wall of the warehouse fell
on the engine room of the elevator, crushing it
like an egg shell.
Alderman w. r. Manniere grimly remarked,
as he looked at the ruins of the warehouse of
which he is a manager. that it was his tea
party, and that everybody was invited. In
point of fact, as the water from dozens of en-
CINE nozzles soaked down the contents of the
building the basement was soon filled with
water, and when the 10000 cases OF tea began
to brew streams of tea gushed from the
windows and doors. The dock for a distance
of 100 feet was flooded with the amber-colored
liquid that poured like small cataract into
the river. The steam arising from this per-
fumed the air blocks away.
The building was a six-story brick structure,
which cost, when built in 1872. $4,000, Alder
man Manniere is satisfied that the fire of
incendiary origin, because there was nothing
In that portion of the building in which it
originated to cause it, and because this is the
third ire IN the structure within year. which
can be accounted for on no other hypothesis.
About 90 per cent. in value of the contents
was tea in bond, as IL was a government ware
house. Besides this there were few thousand
packages of coffee and other miscellaneous arti-
cles. The tea was owned by firms in various
large cities in all parts of the country, which
makes it extremely difficult to accurately esti-
mate individual losses, as insurance was doubt
less placed elsewhere in some cases. An effort
was made to ascertain at the custom house the
exact value of the tea bonded in the ware
house by outside firms. Deputy Collector Jew
ell was seen about the matter and said that the
custom house books showed that there was not
pound OF tea In the building, as permit for
the removal of the last of it had been issued.
1t was very evident that this statement was in
correct, the olfactories of all who were in
the neighborhoOd would testify. At the store
of Messrs. Fitch & Rowland, who are among
the heaviest losers 1t was stated that there were
in the warehouse between $1,000 and 10000
cases of tea. The wide discrepancy between
this statement of the deputy collector and that
OF the merchant, was explained by Mr.. Man.
nierre who said 1t was true the tea had been
released from bond, but notwithstanding that
it had thus passed from the government Off
GERS hand, it was still in the warehouse wait
ing removal when the fire toek place.
The following losses are known: Katherine
DeKay Bronson, on building, $4,000, insur-
ance, $4,000; W. K. Manniere, Chicago loss,
$1,000, insurance, $1,000; Fitch d Rowland,
Chicago, loss 100000, insurance $142, 800; c.
d. Lathrop, loss $4,000, insurance, 100000;
Hillyer & CO., Chicago, loss $4,000, insurance,
100000; Robert Jeffrey d Co., Chicago, loss
$4,000, insurance, $173,0 200.
The following are estimated losses: Falker
& Stern, Chicago, $1,000; Wineman, Conant &
Co., Boston, $4,000; w. F. Piel & Co.. Indian
apolis, 5000; Union national bank, Chicago,
$4,000; Hyde & Southworth, Boston, 5000;
+. 5. Conant & Co, Boston, $1,000; Siefried &
Co., San Francisco, $4,000; Epper, Smith,
Wineman & Co, New York, $1,000; Carter,
Hawley & Co., New York, $1,000; Albasdine &
New York. $1,000; w. p. Roome & Co., New
York, $1,000. These are also probably well in