The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-18
Syracuse the Sufferer by
Two Large Fires.
Hotels, Business Houses
and Papers Burn Out.
Both Fires Raging at Nearly
the Same Time.
Lack OF Water Gives the Flames
a Good Show.
Partial List OF the Losses---The
Cause.


SYRACUSE, N. Y, March 14-Syracuse
never opened its eyes on such q spectacu-
lar drama as reused her from her morning
slumber today. Hardly were the early
risers astir when the whole population was
suddenly reused by cries of ''ire," "the
Hogan block is going, and all Fayette-st.
Is going"
The first show of fire was at 80 o'clock
and in less than half an hour the splendid
new Hogan block was only ghost of its
former self. The massive limestone walls
were blackened ruins and flames were
shooting through the open windows. The
fire was spreading in all directions.
The fire soon spread to the north side of
W. Fayette-st. and Chief Reilly quickly
saw that the threatened destruction was
too great for his apparatus to fight. He
wired to Utica, Rome and Oswego to send
relief and he had hardly done so when
the danger was suddenly doubled.
Fire and smoke burst without warning
from the top of Roscoe Bros five story
block in Z. Westinghouse. four blocks
away. A flying brand from w. Fayette-
ct. had caused il and before the already
over-worked fremen could send relief, the
flames were beyond control. Crowds OF
people running TO w. Fayette-st. were ap-
palled to see the fire rapidly spreading in
Roscoe's with only single stream playing
upon it. At $50 fierce con1agration
was raging in the two upper floors of the
Yale block, along the entire Genesee-st.
front and was rapidly making it's way
around the Montgomery-st. corner. Just
at this time a man thrust sofa out of the
third story window and let it down to the
sidewalk by means of a rope.
what fool that fellow is, spectator
cried, and yet there seemed to be no i'm
mediate danger. A moment or two later
there was tremendous crash and an i'm
mense volume of smoke was thrown out
from the burning building, while the
flames rose high ABOVE tie ruins below.
A cry of horror went up from the crowd
and everybody felt that the man was lost.
The wall for about the distance from the
Montgomery-st. corner to the Roscoe
building had fallen in. crushing the floors
below and bringing them with it to the
ground. When the smoke cleared away,
as it did in a moment or two, under the
sweeping rush of the flames, the man was
seen IN the act OF raising window, which
he Immediately closed and as quickly
raised again The fire was raging all
about him and the feeling was that he was
q doomed man beyond all possibility of
escape. He was not seen to emerge from
any other part of the building and it is
thought that he persisted in the flames.
From the Vanderbilt house aud the
Old and New Montgomery flats people
rushed in all stages of dress. Bedding.
furniture and cooking utensils were
hustled out of rooms. only to be entangled
In the meshes of wires Cartmen drove
through the crowds recklessly in order to
get goods from the buildings.
About o'clock the Oswego relief came
by special train having made the run
from Lamsons, nineteen miles, in IL min
utes. Half an hour later the Utica en-
CINE, with a hose-cart and company OF
firemen, came in and began playing on
the Westinghouse. fire. The flames,
urged on by the gale, were hardly checked
by the firemen, and two locomotive fire
engines from the Central shops were
sent TO the Vanderbilt house corner.
They probably saved the hotel. The
whole loss is estimated at 81 ,0O0. 900 and
at II a. N. the fire was under control.
In the w. Fayette-st. fire, the Hogan
block, six-story stone front building was
first DESTROYED. The center store was
occupied by Hires & Lighton, cigar man.
ufacturers, and next by NJ p. Wash,
hardware. Theodore p. Hogan's loss on
the block is $40, 900 with $4,000 insurance.
Hires & Lighton lose $4,000 with $4,000
Insurance.. Walsh has $4,000 insurance
and his loss exceeds this.
The four story building next east was
burned. 1t was also owned by Hogan,
was valued at $4,000 and the insurance is
$1,000 The furnace company loses Sl0,-
900, nearly covered bv insurance. Chryst
& Zehl have $4,000 insurance and claim
that their loss will exceed that. Justin
Zubert's cigar factory was damaged by
water. His stock was valued at 100000
with $4,000 insurance. John II. Link,
wholesale liquors, suffered something
from water.
The United States hotel, which was
burned, was owned by Daniel O'Keefe
and his loss is put at $4,000.
On the north side OF Fayette-st. the Van
Rannesler block, owned by William
Ayers, first burned and the Seneca house
next east also burned. The loss on
buildings is 100000; insurance, $4,000.
Several tenants lost small amounts.
David Davis owned the next building
east and the loss is put at $4,000.
John T. Kaufman owned the three
story brick block next. His loss is
$4,000.
J. ]. Davis, broker, lost $1,000, with
81 800 insurance and w. G. Tucker, furni-
ture dealer, lost $4,000.
The brown-stone Fay block also went.