Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-01
Telegrams to The Star.
A WILD NRE IN ST. LOUIS.
Drugs and Chemicals in the Flames.
GOV. HILLS INAUGURAL PARADE.
NEW YoRps FIRST NEW II EAR MURDER
A Chicago Firm Robbed by An Employee
BLAZING DRUGS AND OILS.
A Fierce Fire In st. Louis, Enlivened
by Explosion After Explosion.

pany, on the northwest corner of 4tk street
and Clark avenue, was reduced TO ruins in
forty minutes early this morning. The build
ing fronted l20 feet on 18th street and ran back
on Clark avenue 200 feet to private alley, and
back of this was q three-storv substantial brick
warehouse. used by the firm 10 store explosives
and highly combustible goods and oils. The
building was built in 1885, and was complete
with all modern improvements. The fire was
discovered at 2:20 am. and general alarm
was turned in. SO fierce was the fire that five
minutes after the alarm was turned in the
buildings across the street were smoking and
were about to burst into flames.
EVERY FEW MINUTES AN EXPLOSION
would detonate throughout the buildings. a
graceful curl of fire many feet in height and
diameter would leap high into the air and sum-
mon the reyeling rioters of New Years night
to the scene of destruction When every pane
of glass was out of the building the tongues of
fire leaped out and their heat made the mar
row street sheol for the gallant fremcn who
toiled with bursting, burning hose to save the
property. Their coats smoked and their hands
were blistered when exposed to the glare. and
many dropped the lines and sought the shade
of an adjacent building. The entire six floors
were
FILLED WITH CoMBUsTIBLE GOODS,
a great portion of the stock being extremely
inaammable. The first floor was occupied by
the accounting department, in which about 200
book-keepers, clerks and statesmen were en-
ployed, and contained also some show goods
The second floor was given up to the sundries,
OF which an immense and costly stock was car
rled. On the third floor were the paints and
oils, and this story was also used for packing
The IRE seemed to get an early hold on the
third floor, and the flowing oils dripping through
the first two stories
SUPPLIED A FOUNTAIN OF FIRE
that played from the basement clear to the
roof, defying all artificial efforts to check its
costly fow. Not enough lines of hose could
have been laid around the building to have
saved 1t, so speedy was the spread of the fire,
and the few tremen who for a minute or two
at time braved the awful he It had but a dozen
streams to combat half dozen acres of blazing
oils, molten iron and flowing glass.
1t was magnificent and an awful sight from
the nrst two minutes after its discovery until
about O'Clock, when the building collapsed
and there was nothing more to burn.
The Richardson drug company was the ont
growth OF a business founded forty years ago
by James Richardson, its present president.
Nice-President Joseph c. Richardson. and the
secretary. James Richardson, jr are the sons
Of the founder of the house. Mr.. John Mof.
fatt, manager of the sundries department. had
proprietary interest in the concern. as had
one or two other attaches outside the Richard
sons.
The building was erected several years ago
at q cost of S150,000. The corner was occupied
for some time by paint and oil firm before
the Richardson drug company moved up from
North End street. It was one of the largest
Wholesale drug houses in the country, and its
druggists sundries department was the largest
in the country.
PANIC IN A BoARDNa-HoUsE.
The buildings in close proximity to the fire
were scenes Of tremendous excitement. The
Ehler house, place at 209 South 4th street,
occupied by boarders, was the scene of panic.
The screams of frightened women. and the men
rushing to and fro from room to room after
their friends created much terror. Finally the
fremen came to their assistance and all occu-
pants were safely rescued. Woess' masquerade
store, 2O7 South 4th street, was DESTROYED. At
4OS and 10 Clark avenue was a row of three
story brick boarding houses, which was also a
scene Of fright. The occupants had only time
to escape. One scene of great excitement was
in the livery stable of Scott 4 Lynch. AZ ara
Elm street, which structure extends south to
Clark avenue, and in the rear Of the drug
building. When the stable was suddenly
lighted up from the flames of the burning
building,
THE HORSES BECAME PANIC-sTRIcKES,
and when the men attempted to take them out
the animals stood trembling with fear, and. ss
characteristic OF their nature, would not leave
the fire. The men found it necessary to goad
them OIL by beating them with stakes. shovels.
whips. and anything that was at hand After
much effort they were taken from the stable
and it was immediately occupied by firemen
who ran hose through to Clark avenue, and
thereby played several streams of water OH the
fire. At 2:50 O'Clock the most exciting epoch
of the fire occurred, when several
GREAT EXPLOSIONS OF BENzISE
and other drugs occurred almost simultane-
Ously with the falling and crashing of the
southeast corner of the building, endangering
the life of all the firemen on that portion OF
the work. The heavy cornices and coping
stones on the top story began to crack on the
moving walls, and the firemen had only time TO
escape from the impending danger when. with
sudden crash. that portion Of the build
ing fell, throwing burning fragments
across Clark avenue and setting fire to Miller's
bakery, two-story brick, and adjoining build
ings on the southwest corner of 4th street and
Clark avenue and covering the entire intersec-
tion of the streets with the flames and smoke.
1t was expected that panic would occur in the
Southern hotel, which is within almost half a
square of the drug building, but the guests
were quietly informed that there was no immi-
nent danger and ladies and gentlemen leisurely
came down to the corridors and sidewalks and
to the windows Of their rooms to watch the
scene.
THE Loss VERY HEAVY.
Mr.. Cliff Richardson, the general manager Of
the concern, gives the value of the stock on
hand at about s675,00o and the insurance at
S650, 900, placed in H. W. Blossoms agency
The buildings occupied were valued at about
S200, 1000. The origin of the fre is not yet
known, but it was FIRST seen on the ground
door Of the 4th-street front by Police Ser
geant VIM. Young, who sounded an alarm at
once.
49,
JUMPED FROM A HOTEL WINDOW.
Three Women Injured at st. Louis
Fire, One Fatally.
6r. LouIs, Jan. 1.-Between and o'clock
this morning q fire broke out in Zeller's hotel,