The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-09-28
One of the Biggest Flour-Mill Plants in
the Country Destroyed at st. LOnis,
Followed by a Much Greater Confsgration
That Licked Up the Mansur- Tibbetts. Agri-
cultural Implement Companys Works.
Loss on the Two Buildings and Those
Adjoining Amounts TO Over S750,000.
Two Firemen Missing, but Afterwards Found
Covered by the Fallen Walls-Engines Not
Equal to the Demands Losses.
BUILDINGS BURNED LIKE TINDER
Two Big Fires Blazing at the Same Time In
st. Louis.

BUILDINGS BURNED LIKE TINDER.
Two Big Fires Blazing at the Same Time In
st. Louis
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 27.-About $50 O'clock
this afternoon fire was discovered ID the
machinery y-storage-room of the Plant Mill
ing Company. situated at the foot of Chou
teau avenue. and the flames spread so rap
idly that the tiremen could do nothing but
save adjoining property. The mill was
fiye-story brick structure, seventy-five feet
front on Chouteau avenue and one hundred
feet deep. The warehouse contained
two thousand barrels of -four and
the building and contents are in
ruins. The great height of the building
and tho combustible nature of it's contents
caused such terrific heat that the fire de-
partment was greatly hampered in fighting
tie fierce flames. A general alarm brought
out the entire department.. including the
new water tower. which was almost useless
on account of the high walls. Soon the
roof of the main building fell with great
crash, and it's weight on tho now burning
floors beneath caused general collapse.
1t is supposed that two iremen were COW
cred by the caving of the building as two
are missing. Several were seriously injured
by falling timbers.
At one time it looked as if the whole
block would be destroyed, but the heroic
work of the fremen saved the adjoining
property. The cause of the fire is unknown.
The mill shut down at midnight Saturday,
after all the fires had been carefully extin-
guished, and three hours before the fire
was discovered the watchman had made
his round In the building and found every
thing all right The capacity of tho mill
was 1900 barrels per day. and was one of
the largest IN the country. George p.
Plant, the president of the company. places
the loss at S25O.OOO. with insurance at about
the same. The original Plant Milling Com
pany was established in 1851. and the COM
pany is one of the pest know in the coun-
try. The mills will be rebuilt.
panio was caused when it became
known that o powder car was standing on
the railroad track beside the mill. Several
persons were trampled on in the mad rush
to get away, but no serious injuries result
ed. The car was removed by means of q
chain being hooked to the buffer and fire.
men dragging it away. Several buildings
adjacent were scorched, but were saved
with but little damage.
About o'clock, and shortly after the
Plant mill fire had been got under control.
an alarm was sounded from Ninth and
Spruce streets. the location of the
immense warehouse of the Mansur-
Tibbets Agricultural Implement Company.
A fire had started in q small two-story
building on the corner of Ninth
street, used as the Pacific Storage Compan's
warehouse, and in few moments
the flames extended to the SIX
story building of Mansur-Tibbetts. This
structure was entirely new, was built on
| the slow combustion principle and was
thought to be capable of withstanding any
kind of fire. But the owners and insurance
companies were doomed to q sad disap-
| pointment. The building was filled from
| basement to roof with all kinds of farm
implements, wagons, etc., and the fire took
| hold OF them as if they had been made of
paper. In less than half hour the entire
| building was q mass of flames. The heat
was 80 intense that water had no effect.
and the efforts of the fremen were of
| little avail In less than an hour
| the walls on oil sides crumbled
away and what was this morning one
| of the finest and most substantial business
structures in the city is now almost level
| with the ground and its contents licked up.
| The building was owned by the Tiffany
| Real-estate Company. valued at Sl500O0
| and insured for 100000. The origin of the
fire Is unknown.
During the tempest ON Twelfth and
| Spruce streets alarms were turned in from
| Twelfth and Olive. Sixth and Olive and
| Fourteenth and Morgan streets. An engine
| from the big blaze was sent to respond to
| each of the alarms. lessenlng the force at
| the main contlagration. This permitted the
| flames to spread afresh. Neither of the
| smaller fires were of any consequence, how
ever, the t0tal loss aggregating only 5000
| The firms suffering from the fire on Tenth
| and Spruce streets were the Heinrichshof-
fen Il Lawrence Lumber Company aud the
Holmes Lumber Company. the loss of each
| amounting to some 5000. The loss sus-
tanned by the Mansur- Tibbetts Implement
| Company will aggregate S5O00O the build
| ing being new and heavily stocked. The
| Collier lead-w works and the bridge and
| tunnel warehouse were scorched, but no
| serious damage done. A strong south wind
was blowing during the whole fire. and 1t
| was under great difficulties that its prog
| ress was checked.
(, At 1l:30 p. NJ. the fire on Tenth and Spruce
| streets was out, though several streams
were kept playing on the ruins during the
night.
Thirteen alarms, and as many fires, have
| occurred to-day. the origin of but few be-
ing known. The aggregate losses. il is
thought. Will nearly reach two millions in
the rOngh. Later il was learned
that the two hremen supposed to
have been buried in the Plant mill ruins
have been found. They struck by
hfalllng timbers and seriously injured, and
were carried into house near by and lost
sight of in the excitement The water
tower, which was rushed too close to the
mill, was abandoned and left to the raw
| ages of the flames. the heat compelling the
men To flee. Two engines were also aban-
dODed Immediately after the collapse of the
building. the burst of the heat being SO
| sudden.