The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-11-21
S2,000,000 BLAZE.
St. Louis Visited by Fire and Sew
eral Of her Large Wholesale
Houses Burned.
The Loss is an Immense One and
Only Partly Covered by
Insurance.

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was probably killed and two
badly hurt and $500, 900 worth of
property went up in smoke.
At about 4 O'Clock the fire was dis
covered in the furnace room of the large
drygoods establishment of Penny &
Gentles. on the corner of Franklin Ave.
Tue and Broadway. The Waterman
quickly turned in the alarm, and seeing
the terrible velocity with which the
flames speedily reached to int1ammable
material in the basement, sent in q sec
ond alarm ten minutes after the discov-
cry of the fire. A general alarm was
sounded which brought the whole fire
department to the scene. But notwith-
standing the heroic work of the fremeD,
the flames quickly ate their way to the
top of the building and within an in.
Gre ible short space Of time the entire
store was q mass of seething
flames, the roar of the fire being
heard two and three blocks away.
A cold, high. westerly wind was
blowing OF the time, rendering the
work of the fremen almost useless as
the water poured on the bnrning build.
ing seeming to have the effect more of
oil than water. The flames spread to
SonnerfeId's Millinery Store south of
Pinney & Gentles, on Broadway. This
is the largest establishment of it's kind
in st. Louis, occupying four floors of
the north end of the Famous" build
ing. The most strenuous efforts of the fire.
men to quench the fearful fumes seemed
like Liliputians and Notwithstanding
their noble work swept on toward the
south, eating its way through the thick
fre-proof walls into the mammoth shoe
and cothing house of the Famous Co. -
This is the largest house of the kind in
the west, and here is where the most de.
struction was wrought by the seemingly
quenchless fire fiend. The Famous Co.
occupy a building on Morgan Street
and Broadway, about 1876 feet front by
rs feet deep. four stories high. AS soon
as the fire attacked the Famous estab-
lishment the flames here found ready
fuel and the firemen's efforts were futile
to stay the spread of the devouring ele.
ment. They therefore turned their at
tention to saving adjoining property on
Broadway, Franklin Avenue and Nor.
gan Street. The fire was 80 hot, how.
ever, that no one could remain on the
street facing the burning buildings, and
d. Crawford & Go. g immense dry goods
store on the southwest corner of Broad
way was greatly damaged by terrible
heat which broke the thick window
glass and started the fire in that build.
ing, the whole front part of the store at
one time being on fire, but the fremen
by almost superhuman efforts managed
finally to subdue the flames, and by this
time the heat from the other side of the
street had subsidized somewhat, enabling
the fremen to go on Broadway and fight
the flames from q better vantage ground.
At 7:45 the walls of the Famousand Son.
nerfeld's building fell into the west
alley with q loud crash and a moment
later the Morgan Street walls of the
Famous fell, q squad of fremen in the
alley narrowly escape being caught
under the falling walls. Shortly after
8 O'Clock the flames appeared at
oornioe Of the Weinman House, which
is directly opposite the Famous, on
the east side Of Broadway. In a few
moments the roof of the upper story Of
q large four1story building was q mass
Of flames. The dense smoke from the
fire from the other side of the street
made it impossible for the dremen to
work at this point for some time, but
later the wind rather changed around
and swept the smoke away and gave the
fire ladies q chance to combat the ter
ribly mendacious flames. Before the
department could obtain mastery, how.
ever, the row of retail stores from the
northwest corner of Franklin Avenue
and Broadway to the middle of the block
were badly damaged, being as follows:
The Square Dealing Clothing Co., E.
B. Stowe & Co., groceries; Mrs. N. To-
bin. millinery. The top floors of this
building were occupied by the Ween-
man House, the guests of which made
their escape in safety; q. Thai & Co.,
clothiers, the New York Millinery Co.,
and the Kappelman Furniture %. A
row of stores on Franklin Avenue we're
also badly scorched. These buildings
were occupied by the following: o. NJ.
Herr, drugs; Ed T. BAIL, hats; Guerson
& Co., hats; E. 81. Kartamp & Co., jew
elry; st Louis Tailoring 90. The new
Penny & Gentles store on Franklin
Avenue was the drygoods emporium Of
Thomas Hawdson, the first occupying
the Famous building outside Of
the Famous Store and Clothing Go. and
the Sonnerfeld Millinery Go. were: Nc.
Donald and q. 81. Clements, shoes;
Charles Silk, gents furnishings and
cloaks. and Sprects & Ritter, clothing.
These were completely DESTROYED.
marking the place where stood
three of the largest dry goods and cloth.
ing houses in the west. This fire throws
about 1900 people out of employment,
q majority of them being in the service
the Famous. One life was probably
lost and four persons were injured by
the fire. The whereabouts of the night
Waterman. Jasper, employed by the
Sonnenfeld Millinery Co., has not been
discovered and tits thoughthe was killed.
Fireman John Lynch and Alonzo III.
mon were hurt on the head by falling
bricks and badly hurt, the former 90
seriously it was necessary to remove
him to his home. Mike Connors, Q
roomer at the Weinman House on
Broadway and Morgan Streets. jumped
from . third story window and his life
was saved BY tho fall being broken by
electric wires; however, his leg was
broken. A. =. Taylor, Q newspaper
man, received Q severe shock from
IN electric wire and Wai
hit BY falling debris. Losses and in.
surance are % follows: Loss on stool