The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-11-01
FIERCE FLAMES
Destroy Half Million Dollars Worth OF
Property In Pittsburgh-Two Men Fa-

Destroy Half Million Dollars Worth OF
Property In Pittsburgh- Men Fa-
tally Burned and Several Others Injured. ,
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 2S.-Shortly after
o'clock yesterday afternoon the entire
fire department Of the city was sum-
moned to Eleventh and Pike streets.
BY the time the first engines on the
scene were in service, flames were
bursting from almost every window
and door of the immense building
owned and occupied by the Chautau-
qua Lake Ice Company and the Pitts
burgh Storage Company. The build
ing occupied space Of 800 by 100 feet,
was of brick and stone, seven stories.
Or ninety feet in height.
Edward Spies, an employe, discovered
the fire and gave the alarm. He was
working on the fourth floor. Almost
instantly he was enveloped in tames'
and although he attempted to fight the
fire he was driven back TO window,
City feet from the ground, through
which he made his escape. He crept
out upon the narrow sill and dropping
down. hung by his hands until rescued
by the firemen. His hands, arms and
face were literally roasted.
1t was scarcely five minutes after the
discovery Of the fire until the great
structure was ablaze on every floor. At
3 o'clock the occupants of surrounding
buildings were notified to move out
Between Mulberry alley and Penn ave-
nue., on the southeast side Of the burn
ing building, were cheap class Of ten
ements, crowded TO suffocation with
Polish Jews and Slavs who were
thrown into panic Fifteen minutes
later the side of the building fell with
a terrible crash, burying long row Of
tenements just vacated. Flames burst
from the buried buildings adding dan
ger to the surrounding property.
At $3.50 o'clock the four upper stories
of the Thirteenth street wall fell out,
ward, burying the street to the depth
of ten feet and crushing the house OF
John Glenn, on the opposite side the
street On the ground floor of the
warehouse were five loaded freight
cars just before the crash they were
drawn, all burning, to place OF safe
ty. OF all the hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars worth Of property stored in the
building these five car loads were all
that were saved.
The rear Of number OF Penn ave-
nue. buildings were severely scorched.
The most serious damage here was to
Hiber's drug store, which, with con-
tents, was almost destroyed. A num-
Der Of narrow escapes were made by
employees in the storage building.
They were:
4. J. HeilmAn, dropped from third'hoor
window to the alley, injuries fatal
Martin Griffiih, badly burned hung from o
window until rescued by the hremen
Edward Spies, burned about head. hands and
arms; may not recover.
William Cox, rescued from third floor by fire-
men, badly burned.
William Smith. burned about face and body.
Frank McCann, OF Engine Company No. z,
struck by falling walls legs fractured
President william Scott stated last
night that the loss to the Chautauqua
Lake Ice Company and the Pittsburgh
Storage Company will reach half q
million dollars. He could give no esti'
mate Of the amount of insurance, as
tho papers were all locked in the safe,
now In the midst OF the flames The
storage apartments, he said, were filled
with all kinds Of goods, some Of which
we're very valuable. These goods are
owned by several hundred different
people and are mostly insured by the
owners as well as by the storage com