The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-11

elSo. one building norm OF Essex street, OK.
tending along Columbia street, three or
more on tho east side of Lincoln street, and
one corner of the United States Hotel.
south of Tufts street, which corner con-
tanned the Emergency Hospital The prin-
cipal buildings burned were as follows:
Anies Building-seven stories. corner Essex
and Lincoln streets: where the fire started. The
building was occupied by the following firms:
flsrt floor, north section -Woonsocket Rubber
Company basement and first; Barbour Bros.
chine Company, basement and tirst; Consolidated
thread ce%pany Third s'0ao aoor@4 facfard
W. g. Rogers Lariat Manufacturing Company,
G. Latin, Larobe & Co. Third and fourth
Redpath Brothers (boots aud shoes, s. b. Thing
q Co. J. A. Jacquith Rubber Company. Fifth
hoor-Tapley Machine Company. Sixth floor
section. basement-Hathaway so1le 4 Harring-
ton tbo9ts and shoes.) First floor, south
fe'n & a0sg nSo. sna aHs Ssss
Metropolitan Sewerage Company and
testing department. Ewing Brothers, Sanford
plies. Third-C. w. Spur, veneers; Cape Cod
Glass Company FOurth-Sheurr Brothers.
fancy leather and plush goods; American Pin
Company, stock Of pins in boxes Emigh & Lo-
holl. collars and cuffs Otto Kreisman. boots and
shoes d. w. Rowland. liver pills in glass jars
FIfth-Partridge, wholesale fancy goods, second
and fifth floors.
Lincoln Building-Five stories. on opposite
corner site of old Crystal Palace. occupied
oy singer Manufacturing Company and large
number of other concerns.
Ludlow Building-Six stories No. l35 Essex
street
Brown Durell Building-seven stories, corner
of Essex and Kingston streets, burned from roof
TO fourth floor. The fire-proof walls OF this
building stemmed the tide OF the flames to the
north.
Fiyestory brick building corner of Columbia
and Essex streets, occupied by Walter s. Barnes,
yfaD lfoa afnv nyld nth
United States Hotel-Slightly damaged.
Three small buildings, between the Ames
as dwellings in the upper story and by small
traders below.
A TERRIBLE SCENE.
The conflagration, as viewed from q dis
tance. was grand. A dense pail of black
smoke covered that section of the city, and
as darkness came on this was lighted up by
the flames. while occasional tongues of fire
and burning embers shot MP volcano
like into the ebony mass. In
the immediate vicinity the scene
was awful. While the Ames building was
burning there were repeated explosions
like fireworks. mingled with the hOarse
| the crash of falling walls. the rumble
from hurrying teams, and the surging of
| the vast crowds which soon gathered and
rushed to and fro In every bOdy's way.
events of this exciting night There were
deeds of valor that are worthy of more ex-
| tended account than can be given here.
| There were plenty of eye witnesses to- and
actors In. the fiery drama who were ready
and anxious to relieve themselves of the
burden of their experience by tell
| ing some of the things they would
never forget. For the first time
In Eoston's fire history the overhead
wire system has proved the mean of say.
ing life. When the fire In the Brown
Durreli building was at Its height the form
| OF man was seen at the eighth-st0ry win.
dow. He boldly seized one of the large in
|! sulated cables which contain large num-
90 the opposite building hand over hand.
| he had gone but few feet when
1t became apparent that he could not last
long and. greatly to the relief of the crowd,
he threw both legs over the cable W which
slightly sagged, and slowly and tediously
| made his way toward the building, No. 1l9
| Kingston street, to which the cable ran.
| large number of life-savIng nets. can
| fremen. police and bystanders wed
| with each other III holding them, while
others hoarsely shouted to the lmperiled
| man 10 dsop. To have done 80 w0nid seem to
court instant death. His white. agonized
face could be seen as he slowly made his
way over the cable. Several times the
| voice of the vast crowd was hushed. as it
| seemed that the poor being hanging there
was lost All at once the crowd broke into
cheer which seemed to infnse new life
into the Tagging spirit OF the man. He
reached midway between the two build.
inGs, and if he could only hang
on few minutes more he would be
| saved. Every inch of the street below
was now covered with nets At this point
the cloud of smoke cleared away and the
man was recognized as Chief John +.
| Eagan, of East Boston. who had been ont
| OF the house only short time, where he
W Anll .1,nv,o
and other injuries received by falling on
the Ice. A squad of men ran upon the
building No. 119 Kingston street
and slowly lowered the cable
TO which Eggan was hanging. At the
same time hook and ladder No. IA erected a
ladder to meet the slowly descending man.
| The cable was paid out slowly, and tho ex-
hausted man gradually came nearer terra
firma. His body swung close to the bnrn-
ing building. from which issued dense
| clouds of smoke. In few seconds he
swung into the arms of his comrades, re-
leased his hold. and was carried from the
| scene, truly snatched from the jaws of
death. shout of triumph and applause
came forth from the throats of the vast
| assembly.
John j. Sullivan, of Engines, held the noz.
zle in the Lincoln building on the fifth floor.
trying to subdue the flames in the Ames
building. Orders were gwen to shut off and
| leave the building. for fear of their lives
| As the men on the lower floors let 90 of the
hose Sullivan was carried over the baIus-
| trade and hurled to the bottom
of the wall. He struck the bal.
uetrade on each floor, and was
| unconscious before he reached the bottom.
He was taken to the City Hospital His
| recovery is doubtful. He will be q cripple
for life if he RECEIVERS. Ida Rickson. twenty
two years ola. jumped from the third story
| Of the building No. SO Lincoln street. The
| firemen caught her in a net, saving her life.
The police service was admirable. The
| employees of many large stores III the vicin.
| ity were on duty until the fire was under
| control, ready to move out goods if neces-
| sary. Jordan, Marsh 81 Co. kept 2, 600 men
for that purpose. Many proprietors nearest
| the lire moved their most valuable mer-
chandIse. as did also several panicky house
holders.
The three largest buildings burned. the
| Ames. Lincoln and Brown-Durrell. were of
modern construction. and built in the most
| noncom bustlble style possible for mercan-
| tile use. The Brown Dnrrell had front
walls of sandstone and rear walls of brick.
The Ames and Lincoln were much like it.
Incoming trains. from all directions g,
were heavily loaded during the early even
ing. and probably over fifty thousand out
! siders helped TO pack the streets in the vi.
cinity while the fire was in progress.
| A conservative estimate of the total loss
| Is a. 800. 600. The insurance will amount to
S4OC0.OO0. No attempt will be made tO
compile the insurance tonight.
HOREIFYING STORIES.
| Incfdents of ths Fire Ra1atad bv Qur-