Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-19
brick, extending from Liberty street bacl
THE SCENE OF THE FIRE.

brick, extending from Liberty street back
to Strawberry alley.
The fire was discovered few minutes
after o'clock in the elevator shaft in the
rear. AT that time the store was crowded
with holiday purchasers. Word was spread
quickly that the building was on fire and it
was soon clean of customers and clerks. 1t
was the elevator boy who discovered the
flames. One of the clerks hurried out,
found an officer and had an alarm sent in.
When Chief Engineer Humphries arrived
he sent in two more alarms. Nine CON-
panies were quickly on the scene and found
plenty to do.
Swept the Upper Floors.
The flames spread rapidly up through the
fourth and fifth stories Large quantities
of straw goods and notions made fine fuel
For an hour and half the blaze kept up
with scarcely any check. The firemen had
poor fighting ground in front, and most of
their effort was soon concentrated in the
rear. There they had a better chance, and
from ladders and the roots of high buildings
across the alley sent half dozen telling
streams into the kissing mass of millinery.
The flames were kept confined to the two
upper floors, and were gradually soaked
out.
All the stock in the two burning stories
was DESTROYED by fire. On the three floors
below not a dry piece OF ribbon or fancy
trimming could be found. Everything was
damaged in the deluge. The stock all
through the building was unusually large
and fine, having just been laid in for the
ho1i !
least 500, 900 worth of it is rendered value
less by fire and water The remainder,
though damaged, is not entirely destroyed.
OF the $4,000 insurance on the stock,
S54, 800 is in companies represented by
Ringwalt & Agnew. Mr.. Agnew, of that
firm, yesterday furnished the following list,
showing the disposition of insurance on
stock:
Where the Insurance Is.
Stock-Royal, $4,000; Phoenix, $500;
Spring Garden, s., 500; Queen, 50, 500: Fire,
mems Fund. $500; lEtna, $4,000; Ameri-
can, of Philadelphia, 81, 500; Reliance,
81, 500; Phoenix, of Hartford. 81, 500; North
British and Mercantile, $1,000; German
American, of New York, $500; German
American, of Pittsburg, $4,000; American
Insurance Company, $4,000; Hamburg
Bremen, 50, 500; Lancashire, $500; Orient,
s., 500; Home, $1,000; Citizens, of New
York, s., 800; Providence, of Washington,
s., 500; Fire Association, s., 500; Milwaukee
Mechanics, $1,000; Cash, of Pittsburg.
$1,000; Franklin, of Philadelphia, 81, 500.
The building is owned by B. F. JONES'
and is insured for 5000 in companies
represented by Reno & Johns. The princi-
pal damage is to the two upper floors. 1t
will require S12, 900 to rcfit the structure.
d. V. Donaldson, of the millinery firm, has
been at Colorado Springs, and is expected
home this evening.
A noticeable feature of the fire was the
continual bursting of hose. Every few
moments section would give way, spurt-
ing showers OF water over the spectators.
and causing considerable delay in the fire
mems operations. Scores of people got
soaked to the skin. and in one instance a
break almost proved serious. Two engines
were stationed at Liberty and Ninth streets,
directly in front of the Second National
two feet out from one of the engines.
Knocked Them All Down.
A dozen people on the corner got the full
benefit of the heavy stream and half of
them were knocked down. One man was
thrown over against the building and badly
shocked. One Of the party was a lady who
was felieu TO the pavement, where she Law
with flood of water pouring over her. She
was nnally picked up and carried into a
house and cared for.
While passing along Liberty street Miss
Moliie McCIeave, of the Southside, got
hemmed in by the crowd and tainted from
fright. She was taken to Bernd's store and
given medical aid. Several narrow escapes
were made by fremen from falling glass.
Heavy plates kept dropping from the
upper story windows every few minutes.
Firemen Barnes, Mccoy and Boles were cut