People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-09-29

ST. JOSEPH, Mo, Sept 26-Over
s1,OOO,O0O damage has been done so
far by fierce conhagration which
started about 0 o'clock this morning
in the business center of this city.
The fire started in Townsend &
WAITS great department store and
was soon beyond control. In less
than an hour the whole great building
was in flames. Tue loss there is fully
$500, 900
Despite the desperate efforts of the
fremen, the flames spread to the
Regnier-Shoup wholesala and retail
crockery building and this was seen
to be doomed before II o'clock.
Next the flames attacked the Com
mercial bank and Carbrey blocks and
the c. g. France building-all magniA-
cent buildings, and these were soon
all ablaze
At 1870 O'Clock the fire that had
been eating its way all morning
through the finest business block in
the heart of the city was partially I'M
der control. On the south side the
fremen had succeeded in checking it
in the Carbey block. On the north, it
was held IN check by the German
American bank building and on the
west it WAS stopped in the building
occupied by Ransom, Garrett & Brew
ster, shoe dealers.
Many casualties were reported. 1t
was rumored that five persons had
been killed by the falling walls of the
Commercial Bank building. This is
denied by the police, who say that no
one was killed
Calvin Wyatt, member of the firm of
Townsend, Wyatt & Emery, was seri-
ously injured BY falling wall Many
others were slightly injured.
There were many narrow escapes.
In the seven story building occupied
by Townsend, Wyatt & Emery, over
100 persons were at work when the
flames were discovered. They spread
with Srch rapidity that the escape of
mar" as cutoff and they were forced
to for help from the department.
1.t business houses consumed are:
Townsend, Wyatt & Emery, dry goods;
Regnier & Shoup, crockery company;
Ransom, Garrett & Brewster, shoe
dealers; B. +. Barnaby & Co., drug
gists; Commercial bank; S. S. Allen &
Co, wholesale grocers; Daily News
building and six or seven small houses
Hard work on the part of the fire
department confined the fire to the
block bounded by Felix and Edmond
and Sixth and Seventh streets and to
the north half of the block between
Edmond and st. Charles and Sixth and
Seventh.
Difficulty was experienced in hand
ling the flames, owing to poor water
pressure.
A cigarette stub cast into the store.
room on the fifth floor of the Town
send & Wyatt building by careless
clerk is supposed to have started the
confagration.
ESTIMATES OF THE LOSSES.
At $50 o'clock the fire was entirely
und g control. The estimate of losses
follows:
Townsend & WYATT, dry goods COM
pany, stock s225, 900; insured for $780,
600. Building, loss $4,000; insurance
$4,000.
Regnier & Shoup, crockery, less
S75 600; insurance $4,000.
Hoagland building, loss SIS; fully
insured.
Commercial Bank building, loss S4O,-
OtO; fully insured. Commercial bank
annex, loss, $4,000; insured.
Carbrey block, loss S25, 900; insured
for 100000.
German-American bank, damaged
S2,5OO.
A. 5. Scott & George Knapp, paint
erS, loss, 81, 300.
Kahn Il Co., clothiers, $500
Brnswanger & Co., druggists, loss
$4,000; no Insurance.
St. Joseph Drug company, loss
$4,000
St Joseph Book and Station Try com.
pany, loss $4,000.
Spencer Cigar company. damage,
$1,000.
Hong Kong Tea company, loss
81, 500
Ransone, Garrett & Breuster, loss
$50, GOO; insured.
Valient lodge, Knights of Pythias,
loss 81, 200; no insurance.
Stone building occupied by Ransone,
Garrett & Breuster, loss $4,000; in
sured.
At least a dozen other companies
have lost heavily and the total is
l