Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-11-19
IN ASHES.
Fire Sweeps Away Immense Busi-
ness Houses in st. Louis.
The Losses Estimated at 100000
Six Persons Lose Their Lives
in a Fire at Brooklyn.
A SCENE OF RUIN.

| A SCENE OF RUIN.
| ST. LoIus, Mo, Nov IS.-Two mil
lion dollars have gone up in smoke.
and three of the largest business
houses in the city and half dozen
smaller buildings are a mass of ruins
The fire started at 4:S0 o'clock in the
millinery store of Penny & Gentles
corner of Franklin avenue and Broad
way.
The flames s~read at rapid rate,
the material watch they fed upon be-
ing of a highly inhammabic character
a strong west wind was blowing ~ the
| time which made the work of the fire.
men perilous and for a time fruitless.
Within half an hour the large dry goods
store of Sonnenfelds, which adioined
| Penny & Gentles', was afire, and
the flames were working their way to
the Famous mammoth shoe house on
the corner of Broadway and Morgan
street. Four firemen were caught in
the Famous building and were over
come by smoke. They were rescued
by their companions.
A Whole BLOCK Earning.
AT o'clock the entire block on the
west side of Broadway, between
Franklin avenue and Morgan street,
was mass of flames. which
were being famed by a strong
wind, and. being carried across
the street, threatened destruc-
ton to the immense dry goods
house of ID. Crawford & Co. and the
furniture store of Koppleman & Co
ha, =
water into the fire blindly, as the
smoke was so dense and the odor of
burning ribbons, feathers, cloth and
shoes so strong that they could not re-
main on the windward side The fire
ragged for two hours and it was only by
the almost superhuman work of the
| firemen that tremendous confagra-
ton was averted.
Firemen Hurt.
During one of the many collapses of
burning floors in the different build
ings two tremen named Lynch and
Simon were caught by the falling of
loose bricks and tim bers. Both men
were badly hurt and were carried to
the hospital in an ambulance. The
Waterman at Sonnenfelds' establish
ment is missing, and it is feared that
he may be in the ruins
Damaged by Smoke and Water.
Across from Penny & Gentles' on
Franklin avenue were the establish
ments of Grierson & Co, hatters; Ed.
f. Boil ana drug store on the corner
of Broadway and Franklin avenue
These places were badly damaged
/ NV 4
had died away considerably and the
fremen were able to do battle with
greater success. The whole block on
the east side of Broadway, between
Franklin avenue and Morgan street,
including the establishment of d.
Crawford Il Co, was damaged by fire
and smoke.
The Victims.
BY o'clock the block of buildings,
which on Monday was filled with holt
day goods, was mass of charred tim
bers, and the main part of the walls
had fallen. The stores of Son
nenfelds, Penny q Gentles and
the Famous shoe house tthe
largest shoe house in the vest were
wiped out by the flames On Franklin
avenue, opposite Penny 81 Gentles' es-
tablishment. was block of retail
stores. These were seriously damaged.
The occupants were o. w. Heyer, dry
goods; Grierson & Co, hatters: Ed r.
BOIL, halter; P. H. Coulkamp & Co.,
clothiers; 81, Louis Tailoring Com
pany, c. Reemer g. CO., clothing
Charles T. LANCE, clothing; L. Volk-
ing, boots and shoes; George f.
Stamper, dry goods; Franklin sa-
loon and Halser e. Co., dry goods The
| fire was not got under control until 10
o'clock.
A close estimate places the loss of
the Famous Company as follows: On
stock, 5000, 900; insurance, $500, 600.
Penny & Gentles' loss, S175,OOO insur-
ance, 500, OO9. Sonnenfeld's loss $685.
900; insurance, SIS 900. The other losses
will make the aggregate losses reach
nearly s., 900 600.
| On the east side of Broadway the
| Weinman house, a four-story brick
hotel, was completely destroyed. The
"Square Deal Clothing Company" f.
B. Stow g. Co, grocers; VI. Toblin,
millinery; G. Thai & Co., clothing; the
New York Millinery Company and the
Koppelman Furniture Company were
so badly damaged by smoke and water
that their loss VIII lie total.
The origin Of the FIRE is unknown,
but it is supposed to have been cansed
| by an overheateC stove or d detective
/ fue. Four firemen were compelled to
slide down the hose pipe from the
fourth story of the Famous" store
during the fire, but all escaped unin-
jured