New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-02
A DRUG HOUSE BURNED.
DESTRUCTIVE FLAMES IN ST. LOUIS
THE RICHARDSON DRUG COMPANY BURNED OUT
loss 1000 900, NEARLY COVERED BY IN
sURANoE-scENEs or ExcITEMEyF
r. re

st. Louis, Fn 1.-The immense six-story
brick building of the Richardson Drug Campany,
at Fourth-st. and Clark-ave was reduced to ruins
in forty minutes after . o'clock this morning.
The building fronted / 20 feet Fourth-st. and
ran back on ClarlS-ave. 200 feet to private
alley. and back of this was a three-story sub
stantal brick warehouse, used by the firm to
store explosives and highly combustible goods
and oils. The building was built in lss5, and
was complete with all modern improvements
The fire was discovered Mt 2;20 n. m and gen.
cral alarm was turned in. SO fierce 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 terrible explosion would detonato
throughout the buildings, and a graceful curl
of fire, many feet in height and diameter, would
leap high into the ar and summon the revelling
rioters of New Years night to the scene Of de-
structOn.
When every pane of glass was out OF the
building the tongues of fire eapcd out, and their
heat made the narrow street hot for the gal
liant fremcn who tolcd with bursting, burning
hose TO save the property. Their coats smoked
and their hands were bstcred when exposed
to the glare and many dropped the lines and
sought the shade of an adjacent building.
The entire six floors were filed with combuStible
goods, great portion OF the stock being extremely
nfammabe. The first floor was occupied by
the accounting department. in which about "oO
boOkleepers, clerks and statesmen were employed
and contained also some show goods. Inc sccohu
floor was given up to the sundries, OF which an
immense saocll of costly goods was carried On the
third floor were the paints and oils, and TINS
story was also used for packing The fire seemed
10 get an early hold on the third floor, and the
flowing oils dripping through the first two stories
supplied a fountain of fire which played from the
| basamen: clear to the roof, dcfyng all aruhclal
efforts TO check its costly flow Not enough lines
of hose could have been laid around the building
| TO have stayed il, speedy was the spread Oh
! III, fire, ard the few firemcn who for minute
/ or two at a time bravcd the awful heat had put
n dozen streams TO combat half dozen acres of
blazing oils. molten iron and flowing glass 1t
WAS magnificent and awful sight from the
first two minutes after its discovery until abont
3 o'clock when the building collapsed and there
| was nothing more to burn
| A HrsrNEss OF FORTY YEARS GONE.
The Richardson Drug Company was
! the outgrowth of business founded
| forty years ago by James Richardson
its present president; the vice-president Joseph
! c. Richardson and the secretary, James hchara'
IT,.
John Moiret manager of the sundries department,
! had proprietary interest in the concern, as had
one or two other attaches outside the Richardson
family
The buildinc was erected several years ago at
q cost of sl5OOOO The corner occupied for
some time by paint and oil frm before the
Richardson Drug Company moved mp from North
: srcond-st It was one OF the largest wholesale
! drug houses in the country, and ITS druggists
sundri,s department was the largest IN the
| country.
| The buildings in close proximity to the fire
| were scenes of tremendous excitement. Inc
| Ehler House, place at No 2O9 South Fonrthst.
occupied by boarders, was the scene OF panic
| The screams of frightened women and the men
| rushing to and from room to room. alter their
| friends created much terror. Finally the IRE
mon came 10 their assistance and all occupants
were safely rescued. Wocss masquerade store,
No. 2O7 South Fourth-st., WAS destroyed AT Nos.
40s and 40 CArl1-ave. was Il row Of three-story
brick boarding houses, which was also
scene Of fright Tie occupants had only
time TO escape.
One scene of great excitement was in the
livery stable of Scott x Lynch. at No Al Em-st.,
which structure extends south to Clark-ave.,
and in the rear Of the drug building. When the
stable was suddenly lighted up from the names
of the burning building the horses became panIc p
stricken and when men attempted to take them
ont the animals stood trembling with lear, ana
would not leave the fire. The men found IL
necessary to goad them on by beating them WIN
! stakes shovcls whips and anything that WAS al
hand After much effort they were taken IRON
the stable, and it was immediately occupied
by iremcn. who ran hose through to Clarli-ave.,
and thereby played several streams of water Oh
the fire. .,.. .ioa
of the fire occurred, when several great eAplo-
| tl.np Il
simn taneously with the falling and crashing
of the southeast corner of the building. endan-
gering the lives OF ali the liremen on that por,
tion of the work The heavy cornlces ana
coping stones on the top story began
10 crack on the swaying walls, ana
the fremen had Only time to escape
from the impending danger, when with su'iueh
crash, that portion Of the building fell, throwing
burning fragments across Chrll-avc and setting
fire to II. |. Millers bakery, two-Story ac Drck'
and adjoining buildings at FOurth-St ana clark
ave, and covering the entire intersection OF the
streets with flames and smoke
1t was expected that pnnic would occur IN
the Southern Hotel which is within almost half
a square Of the drug building, but the guests were
qrict:y informed that there was no imminent dan
ger, and women and men lesurely came down 70
the corridors end sidewa lls and to the windows oil
their rooms 10 watch the scene
Andrew GcrhOrty, the night Waterman IN tle
Richardson drug-house, has been missing ahoe slncs
in the burned building. He leaves widow
and fourteen -year-old daughter.
THE LOSS ESTIMATED AT 5000 900.
Cliff Richardson the general manager of the
concern, gives the value of the stock on hand
at about $3.50, 600 and the insurance at s65O.OOO.
placed in II. w. Blossoms agency. The build
ines occupied were valued at about Sl50,000.
The origin OF the Dire is not yet known, but it
was first seen on the ground floor Of the Fourthst
front by Police Sergeant William Young, who
sounded an alarm at once
U w Blossom who placed the bulk OF the nSur.
ance on the Richardson Drug Companys stock, will
not give out figures until tomorrow. He states
IL will be impossible to prepare statement
sooner The insurance on the building Is
Sl00, 900.
LOSSES by THE OCEAN BEACH FIRE.
Asbury Park. ~ j.. Jan. (sreciaD.-The big fire