The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-10
A FATAL FIRE.
Some Seven People Burned to
Death in Louisville.
Many Saved Themselves by Jumping-Good
Work by the FIremen-Financial Loss
About Three-Quarters Of Million.


LOUISVILLE, Dec. 9.-While firemen were
raking away the ruins of the Boone Paper
company at 4:3O this morning, there came
the sound of terrific explosion from
Bamberger, Strong g. Co.'s building, four
stories high. In an instant
FIRE BROKE OUT FROM EVERY FLOOR
and shot out through the roof. The fire
must have been smouldering for several
hours in the cellar, and when each of the
four stories had been filled with heated air
and smoke, the explosion followed. The
following firms were burned out:
Bamberger, Strong 81 Co., boots and
shoes; loss, SIPS, 900; insurance, 500, 900.
Bliss, Wilson & Co., furnishing goods and
notions; loss. $50, 900; insurance, SAC, 600.
Weller, Voolfolk & Payne, boots and
shoes; loss, $4,000; insurance unknown.
Johanboeke & Sons, hats; loss, $4,000;
insurance, $4,000.
1t was with great difficulty the firemen
prevented the flames from spreading fur
Their, A number of people were sleeping
in the upper rooms of the building.
Later information shows o number Of
fremen were caught under the falling wall
OF Bamberger, Strong & Co.'s building.
Fire Chief Hughes and Captain Weather
ford were injured. Four dead fremen lay
under the walls and four others are bydly
hurt The dead are: William Moore, Sam
Baker, Tony Schuoht and William Davis.
At S o'clock another fatal fire was raging
at F. A. Mem s. Co.'s wholesale candy and
fancy grocery house square above the
Boone Paper company's building. The
origin OF the fire is q mystery. Forty girls
were at work on the fourth floor and all
were not sbie to escape. The bodies of six
girls have already bsen taken out
BURNED ALMOST BEYOND IDENTIBIoATIoN.
g. T. Mem, brother to the senior member
of the firm is supposed to have been burned
to death and the fremen think at least five
other girls will be found as soon as q
thorough search is made. The fire cut OH
escape by the stairway leading from the
fourth floor where the girls were at work
Many jumped from the windows to the
second story projection and escaped with
broken limbs and bruised bodies. Others
got out unhurt.
. With its forces weakened and democrat
lied by the accident Of the early morning,
the fire department was called to the
disaster at the candy factory. To add 10
the casualties and confusion Chief
badly hurt in the accident early this morn
ing that he may not recover. He and
Henry Weatherford, the chiefs assistant,
while going to the fire, were run into by q
salvage corps wagon and their buggy
smashed. Both were trampled by the
horses but the injuries Of Weatherford are
not SO bad as those Of his chief. A mum,
Der of other iremen were badly injured at
the candy shop fire. In the face Of these
disasters
Ths TIRBMEN STOOD BRAvELT By THIEF
WORK,
and within smother half hour the flames
were under control. Within this time hall
a scere OF lives had been sacrificed.
The fire is supposed to have arisen from
one OF the candy furnaces WHICH possibly
exploded. Tho flames communicated with
big stock Of Christmas fireworks. The
first explosion among the fireworks scat
tered fire brands ell over he store. The
sky-liRht fell In and the entire stock was
tercely blazing almost Immediately.
| The bodies Of the girls were removed az
soon as possible to the nearest undertaking
establishment. Two Of the girls have jusi
been identified as Mary Walsh and Ameiia
Dickey. Great confusion exists. MAIN
street, whore the principal wholesale traffic
of the oity goes on, is blockaded and bust
ness lie almost at stpnd still. The loss on
| Mem & CO. building and stock is placed
at SIC, 900, and the total loss will be nearly
three-quarters of million. The flames
were stodped at George W. Wicks & Co.'s
cotton house.
The work Of searching for the bodies in
the buildings destroyed by the fire thi,
morning is still going on at midnight. The
missing iremen are now believed to be II
the ruins of the Boone Paper company
The building is wedged between huge pilei
of paper that filled the cellar. The dead
recovered at Mem g. Co.'s are: Lulr
Klein, Carrie Luckhsrdt, Barbara Bell
Amanda Dickey, William Hulsemeire
Charles Kimmel and Clara Ida Parker.
The missing and certainly dead at tn,
Boon Paper company's building are: Ton
Moore, Sam Baker VIII Davis, Ton,
Schliok, all of No. / hook and ladder com
pany. James Weinler and Thomas Beeh
uldsr, who worked ut Meune's were ais,
missing this afternoon, but their relatives
have not been heard from tonight.
The injured are: Katie McGarvie
Theresa Holthans, Edward niger, Lilli
Grenwald, Major Huges, James Nuttall
Patrick Shelby, Allen Grimes and Henr.
Weatherford.
Fire Chief Hughes has conclusion O
the brain.
How the fires originated is still uncer
tain. There we're only two office fires a
the Boon Paper company's building and
Is certain the flames originated In eithe
of these. At Menu & company's nun be
Of fires were burning, but none account 70
the starting of the confsgratioh. 1t Is nov
doubtful II there was an explosion at BAN
berger, Stern 81 Co.'s, next door to tn
Boone company, at the time the fir
caught. 1t is more probably falling walls
1t is thought the total loss will reach three
quarters Of a million.