The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-09-25
RAVAGES OF FLAMES.


worth of property destroyed by a
fire which reduced the large wholesale
dry goods and notion house OF hamburger,
Bloom a. Co. to ashes. The biggest house
of any character in the city is that Of
hamburger. Bloom 81 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
teral for the flames. 1t was evident at
once that the big building was doomed and
no efforts of the firemen could save IL. In
an hour il was a complete wreck, carrying
with it loss of $3.50, 600 in stock and
5000, 00D in building and fixtures. Next
door to hamburger, Bloom a. Co.
was the wholesale boot and shoe house
Of William Coye q 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
and restaurant was Quilted at loss Of
$4,000. Immediately east of hamburger,
Bloom q 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, ana left
nothing of the building but skeleton.
The saloon of Isaac Bier and the wholesale
cigar store of Virgil Wright, Immediately
north of Bretzfelder &c 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 fremen. They
were: Capt. Ed Early. Samuel Stark
lighte-, 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 SS 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 ascendad, the long
ladder trembled omnously, arl 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 men went down with il 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 McGrath, 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 q 90.
dill business of s., 0J0 600 a year, and
in m ISt of fol tra IA -
loss of 81, 600, 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 biggest
part of it.
Chicago dispatch: A red flake of carbon
sputtered from an electric light in the
booth containing Gossage's Co. IS exhibit in
the exposition building. The spark lit on
a napkin, and a feeble flicker soon ap-
peared. In moment the blaze ignited
other fabrics and in less than a minute
$50, 600 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 II. Walker d Co., Schles.
niger ~ Meyer, the leading dry goods
houses of Chicago. Many pieces of costly
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, 600 worth of valuable
goods and machinery, and within 200 feet
nor than 500, 900 worth Of paintings and
statuary. Rarely was so exquisite and
costly spread laid before a 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
janitor 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
sither 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 Sun
day night About 1920 o'clock in
the evening, just as the entertain
ment in the great ampitheater had
closed, fire broke out in the main hall.
q 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 EXPOSE
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 a quarter Of million
dollars.
Hundreds OF people will be losers, az
everything belongs to different individuals.
There were 10000 people on the grounds
Sunday, all of whom visited the place.
When the fire started there were 4 1000
people on the grounds, and at this time no
one has any idea how the fire originated.