The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-09
The Hooper Building, One ofthe Finestin
the City, Destroyed Last Night.
Over q Million and a Quarter Dollars Worth of
Property Licked Up By the Unquench-
able Flames in a Few Hours.
Burkhardt's Great Fur Establishment.
with Its Valuable Stock, in Ruins.
Geirshofer's Clothing Store Burned-TheP ape
Company's Building and the Steinwsy
Block Crushed by Falling Walls.
FIRE.
.Burkhardt's Fur House and Other Establis
ments Burned at CINCINNATI.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Burkhardt's Fur House and Other Establish
ments Burned at Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI. July S.-A little after 10
o'clock tonight. came an alarm of fire call
ing q relay of engines to the great building
occupied by A. +. Burkhardt IL Co., manu-
facturers and wholesale and retail dealers
in furs and fur goods. The building is at
the southeast corner of Elm and Fourth
streets. 1t is the property of William
Hooper. banker and fnancier. 1t was
seventy-fve feet wide on Fourth street,
and extended back $50 feet to an al
ley. It's Fourth-street front IS seven
stories high and it's height on the alley is
eight and a half stories. 1t also extends
two stories deep under the ground. The
building is nearly new and cost over $780,
600 to put 1t up. Mr.. Burkhardt added $780,
600 in interior adornment within the last
two years. Mr.. B%urkhardt told the AssO-
ciated Press agent tonight hat he could
only give a rough estimate of the value of
the stock in the building, and that, he said,
was, to the best of his belief. between $780,
600 and 500, GOO. In addition to his own
immense stock, he stores great quantities
of valuable furs for citizens every summer.
and these furs are all in the burning build
ing. He knows nothing about his insur-
ance at the present moment, but it IS bis
habit to insure well. Mr.. Hooper. the
owner of the building. is also a good In
surer.
After the start of the fire in the lower one
of the two cellars. the entire fire departments
was soon called out. Dense volumes of
binding smoke at first filled the streets.
and presently, with q sudden burst.
the flames spread upward through
the building, and with inoredi-
bic rapidity shot skyward through
the roof. lighting up the city for half a
mile around. Soon the walls began to
crumble and the building with it contents
became an irretrievable loss. The fire de-
partment devoted itself to preventing
the spread of the fire to adjacent
property. At IL o'clock the splen-
did building was a furnace of white
flame. The streets were full Of spectators
and the whole heavens were lurid. The
store-room of this building was pronounced
by travelled citizens and visitors the finest
in America.
CLO1hlNG vi DESi
The east frontage on Fourth street Of the
Hooper building, which was one hundred
feet wide by $50 feet deep, was occupied by
Henry Geiershofer Il Co., dealers in
clothing and manufacturers. They esti-
mated their stock at a valuation of over
800. 600. Probably Sl25.OO0 worth OF their
stock Is under tarpaulins on the north side
of Fourth, near Race street. thanks to the
energy of the salvage company. The
fire having started in Burkhardt's
establishment at the corner, gave time to
save some of Geiershoferis goods. The rest
will go with the great Hoover Building,
to cinders and ashes. Gelershofer's loss
will not be less than $3.50. 900, and they have
that amount of insurance, 80 that their
loss will be fully covered. The loss of the
building will not be less than $780, 600, and
if Nh. Burkhardt's estimate of his stock is
correct. the loss by this fire will reach
5 l,100,000 at least.
The Elm-street wall of the building has
gone down, and the east wall at midnight
is threatening to tumble down on the roof
of a four-story building adjacent next east
of it. The streets are still thronged with
men and women witnessing the grand
spectacle. pressing on rope barriers drawn
across the streets. The police are clearing
the streets of all outsiders near the totter-
ing walls.
CRASH OF THE EAST WALL.
At twenty minutes past IL o'clock to-
night the east wall of the Hooper Building
rocked and tOttered. then leaped down
from its dizzy height on to the roof of the
Pape Manufacturing Company's building.
next east of it, with q roar and crash. fol-
lowed by crash after crash. 1t filled the
air with binding dust and made dark
ness where q moment before was brilliant
illumination. A reporter of the Associated
Press was there to witness the grand
catastrophe and to takeshis share of SCOT
and dust with which it covered everybody
In reach. Proprletors of stores we're stand
ing at their doors. some of which were
open. The police came rushing into the
darkness and dust and shouted, "close and
lock your stores. every one OF you, and
watch them we'll"
The Pape Manufacturing C~ompany's
building was q three-stOry brick. 1t was
an extensive picture-framing establish
ment. one of the oldest and most extensive
In the city, and carried a large stock of
pictures. paintings, engravings and mold
tngs. The front three-quarters of the
building. where the most valuable goods
are kept. was completely ruined. A mass
of debris crushed into the cellar and the
outer walls were thrown into the street.
The Pspe c~ompany's loss can hardly be less
than 500, 900. while the loss TO the building
Is possibly $4,000. as it was very old. This
will swell the aggregate loss tOnearly ST.
25C,OC0.
The high east gables of the Hooper Build
ing in leaping down on to the Pape Com
pany's building, which it crushed. struck
the five-story Steinway piano building,
which was next east of Pape's, and knocked
the west wall of that building In. No in
jury was visible from Fourth street. and
it is hoped that the direct damage to the
Steinways will be light. They carried
about 500, 900 worth Of stock. Their loss to
stock will not be over $4,000, if so much.
Att A. NJ. the fire seems entirelyunder con-
troll: The engines will have to work on it
all day. Thus far no one has been hurt,
though narrow escapes have been numer-
Gus.
Nothing definite can be learned of Burk-
hardts insurance. One agency here has
$4,000, and insurance men say every agency
IN Cincinnati has more or less risks ON his
stock; besides. he is known as a man that
insures well. The first fire alarm from
Burkhardt's zane in by an automatic
electrical alarm.
CONVENT BURNED.
A Canadian Institution DESTROYED by Fire