Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-11-21
ST. LOUIS BLAZE.
Destruction Of Many Large Busi-
ness Houses.
St Louis Passes Through . Fiery Ordeal-
Largo Business Houses Destroyed
Loss Fully Two Million
Dollars.
st. louis soorcheL

81. LOUIS, Nov. 1a-The most dis
astrous fire which has visited St Louis
in many years started in the furnace
room Of the large dry goods house Of
Penny & Gentles on the southwest
corner of Broadway and Franklin
avenue about 4:s0 q. m. yesterday.
The Waterman Immediately turned in
an alarm, and then q second and third
within ten minutes
The flames spread so rapidly, how
ever. that general alarm was given,
which brought out the entire depart
ment, but before all the engines ar
rived Penny & Gentles, the Sonnenfeld
Millinery Coz and the mammoth estab-
lishment Of the Famous Shoe & Cloth
ing Co, occupying the entire block Of
four-story buildings on Broadway be-
tween Franklin avenue and Morgan
street were in flames, and within two
hours all the walls had fallen and moth
ing was left but ashes and bent and
twisted iron Orders
Opposite Penny 4 Gentles' and Som
nenfeld's is the immense dry goods
store of D. D. Crawford & Co. While
the fire was at its height the heat was
so intense that the fremen were una
BILE to go on Broadway, hence the
whole front of Crawford's store, in
GLIDING the display windows and all
the showcases in the front part of the
store, from top to bottom, were badly
damaged by the heat, causing q loss Of
probably $4,000.
On Franklin avenue, opposite Penny
& Gentles', the whole row from Broad
way to the alley was very badly dam
aged. The firms occupying these build
ings were: o. w. Hoyer. drugs; Ed F.
BOIL. halter; Grierson & Co., hats; E.
II. Kortkamp & Co., jewelers.; St Louis
Tailoring Co., and c. Boehmer, jew.
eler.
Adjoining Crawford's on Broadway
the following business houses were
Quilted: Mcdonald Bros, hats; G. b.
Clements, shoes; Charles Silk, gents
furnishing goods and cloaks; Mrs. M.
Tobin, millinery; E. Wendell & Co.,
New York Millinery company; E b
Stowe & Co., groceries; the Square
Deal Clothing company, and the Vein
man house, the guests of which had
safely evacuated the building.
On Franklin avenue. just west of
Penny & Gentles', the general dry
goods store of Thomas Hodson was
damaged by smoke and water to the
extent of $50, 900; insured
The fire throws about 1,5OO people
out of employment, a majority Of them
being in the service of the Famous
company. One life was probably lost
and four persons were injured by the
fire. The whereabouts of Night
Waterman Jasper. employed by the
Sonnenfeld Millinery Co, have not
been discovered, and it is thought he
was killed
Fireman John Lynch and Alonzo
Simon were hit on the head by falling
bricks and badly hurt-the former so
seriously that it was necessary to re-
move him to his home. Mike Connors,
a roomer at the Weinman house on
Broadway and Morgan streets, jumped
from third story window, and his life
was saved by the fall being broken by
an electric wire. However, his leg was
broken A. S Taylor, a newspaper
man, received severe shock from an
electric wire and was hit by falling
debris.
The losses will foot up over So 0OO..
600 The total insurance is about
81. $50. 600.