Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-01-03
DRUG HOUSE FIRE.
The Richardson Drug Company
Burned Out at ST. Louis-Much
Excitement.
Loss About S75O,OOO-The Waterman
Missing and Supposed to Have Per.
ished.
Fatal Fire Panic-Panic in a Church
Mills Burnsd-Two Deaf Mutes
Drowned.

Drug Company on the mort beast corner of
Fourth street and Clark avenue was Te-
duced to ruins in forty minutes early yes
terday morning.
The building fronted 40 feet on Fourth
street and ran back on Clark avenue 200
feet to private alley. Back of this was q
three-story substantial brick warehouse
used by the firm to store explosives and
highly combustible goods and oils. The
building was built in 1885 and had all
modern improvements
The fire was discovered at 2:e0 a. m.
and general alarm was turned in, but so
fierce was the fire five minutes later that
the buildings across the street were smok-
ing and about to burt into flames. Every
few minutes terrible explosion would de-
tomato throughout the building and a
graceful curl Of fire would leap high into
the air. When every pane of glass was
out OF the building the tongues of fire
leaped out and their heat made the narrow
street almost uncomfortable, and the fire.
mems coats smok d and their hands were
blfstered when exposed to the blaze, and
many dropped the lines and sought the
protection of adjacent buildings.
The buildings in close proximity to the
fire were scenes Of tremendous excitement.
The Ehler House, at 200 South Fourth
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 firemen
came to their assistance and all the occu-
pants were safely rescued. Woess' mas
querade store, POT South Fourth street,
was destroyed. At 40S and 40 Clark
avenue was row of three-st brick
boarding houses which were also scenes of
fright. The occupants had only time to
escape.
One scene of great excitement was in the
livery stable of Scott & Lynch at Alb 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 stricken,
and when the men attempted to take them
out the animals stood trembling with fear
and would not leave the fire. The men
found 1t necessary to goad them on by beat
ing them with stakes, shovels, whips and
any thing 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 placed several streams of water
on the fire.
At 2:5O O'Clock several great explosions
Of gasoline and other materials occurred
almost simultaneously with the falling and
crashing of the southeast corner of the
building, endangering the lives 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 waving
walls and the firemen had only time to es-
cape from the impending danger when,
with sudden crash, that portion of the
building fell, throwing the burning frag-
ments across Clark avenue and setting fire
to 81. j. Miller's bakery a two-story brick,
and adioin ng buildings on the southeast
corner Of Fourth street and Clark avenue
and covering the entire intersection of the
streets with flames and smoke
Mr.. Cliff Richardson, the general man.
ager of the concern. gives the value of the
stock on hand at about S675, 900 and the
insurance at $e50,'0'. The bu ldings &C.
cupied were valued at about $2J0,0O0
The origin of the fire is not yet known,
but it was first seen on the ground floor of
the Fourth street front by Police Sergeant
w. Young, who sounded an alarm at once.
Andrew Geroghty, the night Waterman,
has been missing since the fire, and it is
believed that he persisted in the burned
building. The vicIim's widow and four
teen-year-old daughter created a terrible
scene at the ruins, pleading for a search
for the remains in the still burning ruins.
FATAL PANIC.
ST.. LOUIS, Jan. 2-B tween five and six
nj
out in Zeler's Hotel, 7l9 and 72l North
Sixth street. Some twenty-five or thirty
people were in the place and a scene of
great excitement enSued, during which
three women jumped from a third story
window. These were Mary Wesland, who,
besides being badly burned about the b ad
and BODY. had an arm broken and inha ed
flames and died at the hospital Mary
Dawson, aged thirty, had an arm broken
in two places and received severe scalp
wounds. Lizzie Durham. thirty-two
years, a widow with three children, also
received scalp wounds and had an arm
broken. The fire was trivial affair.
THE NATCHEz SUNK.
New ORLEANS, Jan. 2.-The steamer
Natchez, from New Orleans to Lake Port,
Ark, struck reef near Lake Providence
yesterday morning and was beached on
the Mississippi shore and sank in nine feet
of water. There was no loss of life, but
the boat and cargo will prove a total loss
as there is no hope of raising her. The
Natchez was the last of seven great boats
that bore that name. She cost $500, 000 and
at the time of the present accident was
valued at $4,000 and insured for $40, 100 |
The cargo at the time she sank was small, |
as the boat was going up stream.
CHURCH PANIC.
New YORK, Jan. 2.-During the cele-
bration of high mass in St Mary's Church, |
Long Island City. at ten O'Clock yesterday |
the evergreen decorations Of the altar took |
fire from the candles and the flames |
caused panic and stampede Of the con-
gregation. The burning material was
soon pulled down by some cool headed |
person and the panic abated There were |
no serious results.
DROWNED IN SHALLOW WATER.
PLATTsBURG, n. Y, Jan. 1.-The dead |
body of Antoine Martina, veteran of the
late war was found in Cumberland bay
near here yesterday. The water is only
two feet deep. 1t is supposed that MARITIME
wandered into the shallow water while
intoxicated and could not release himself.
DEAF MUTEs DROWNED.
COLUMBUS, o., Jan. 2.-Charles Swift
and Jacob Reislock. pupils at the institute
for the deaf and dumb. were drowned yes
terday by the breaking of the ice on
pond. s. Dresbach, another pupil, was
rescued and will recover.
CASHMERE MILLS DESTROYED.
ROCKVILLE, Conn.,, Jan 2-The Wind
,orville cashmere mills, owned by
he Windsorville Mill Company and Frank
! Jordan, of New York, were burned at
I've O'Clock yesterday morning with the
took, machinery and boarding house.
The loss was $4,000; insurance, $4,000.
,he WindsorYille Hotel and q number OF