The Indianapolis journal., 1893-05-04
Block Owned by j. II. Vajen, in the
Heart of the Wholesale District, Atire.
Originated In the North Store Room of the
Block Occupied by Tenant Who
Had Just Moved Iu.
Fahnley e. McCrea, Wholesale Milliners,
Seem the Largest Losers.
Heavy Damage Done to Their Stock BY Smoke
Mean Fire to Pight-Carried
Large Insurance..


several alarms between the hours of IL
o'clock and o'clock this morning. The
block in danger is the property of Mr..
Vsjen and is the first door south of Fahnley
g. McCres. What it contained and who
was the proprietor. no one. not
even the merchant policeman. seemed
to know. The fire seemed to come
from the cellar; at least that was as near
as Chief Webster could tell for full forty
minutes after the department was on the
spot. It was not conventional fire. and.
In fact, would have been easier to manage
If it had been.
CONCEALED IN SMOKE.
There was nothing but smoke, smoke in
dense volumes filling not only the whole
lower floor and cellar. but pouring out of
the windows of every story. Not being
able to find the proprietor, the firemen had
no way to get into the place. except
to batter down doors with axes, and these
offered resistance, sttesting their strength.
The first effort was made to find the source
was soon found impossible for the hosemen
to live in that place. The smoke kept get
ting thicker and hotter. and 1t was
evident that il would soon burst into
fame. The draft through the broken doors
and windows made this inevitable. This
was courtsd rather than otherwise. as the
smoke was doing as much damage as flame
could do to the goods in other buildings
and there seemed to be no other way to To-
cate aud find the fire.
When the first outburst of the flame
came, Chief Webster saw the ex tent of the
oonflsgrstion. and turned in o second
alarm. Then began a fight against blaze
which assumed very large proportions.
threatening the whole block. Water was
thrown. however. with some little efioct
There was still SO much smoke that the
fremen could not with safety fight the fire
with any adv antage In position.
The damage from smoke will be very
heavy to the surrounding property There
was nt first no thought but that the DAM
age would be light and would be confined
to the building in which the fire originated.
The property in the United States Ex-
press Company. first dcor to tho south. was
not removed for half an honr after the fire
had become known. 1t is needless to say
that then there was hustling among the
employees of the express company. who had
been the first to smell smoke and to call the
fire department.
FAHNLEY & M'CREAs LOSS.
The store of Fahnley d McCrea next
door to the north. flied with smoke early
in the progress of the fire. but there was no
effort made last night by the owners 20 es-
innate their loss. Mr.. McCrea said
that the kind of goods in their
smoke as by water. The stock is insured
for $4,000 in tho following companies:
Germanls, of New York; Niagara. of New
York; Hamburg. of Hamburg; West
ern. of Toronto: Detroit. of Detroit.
Evansville. of Evansville; Home. of New
York, British-American, of Now York aud
Liverpool: Liverpool. London 81
Lancashire; Fire ASSOCIATION. Of
Philadelphia; Etna. of Hart
ford; Hartford. of Hartford; Phenix. of
Brooklyn. and Insurance Company of
| North America. There are besides smaller
poiices in smaller companies.
The business transacted in the building
in which the fire originated had to do with
glass and crockery. as the streams of water
| soon developed. The crashing to the floor
could be heard q square away. It
was said that the stock consisted of dam
aged goods, bought MP at bargains from
| jobbers. importers. and even retail deal
ers, aud that the sale for the goods was
found in the market and from peddler's
wagons.
The sidewalk along this part of the street
covers what is really an extension of cell
lara In this way the dense smoke is said to
have found Communication from the
| first building TO the contiguous ones.
When the fire broke into a blaze the cause
of so much smoke was seen. The cellar was
stored with pine boxes. many of which were
| filled with hstraw. Having no oxy gen or air TO
draw upon. the combustion resulted in
| smoke. This filled the street from block TO
block 90 that it was unpleasant to be
near the place. The firemen showed dis
regard OF the dangers from suffocation iu-
dica,Ive of entire fidelity to duty.
FLAMES IN THE HELMS FACTORY.
The fire spread in the third floor to the
overall factory of /. \. Helms. and guam.
| tity of goods In this place were destroyed
but il was impossible at 2:3O TO learn any,
| thing of what the extent of the dam age in
this part of the building was. Helms car
ried u stock of goods worth about 81 500.
At 2:45 O'clock the fire was practically
| under control with small likelihood of
! further damage Rough guesses at tho
! total loss of all concerned vary from S4G.-
600 to $4,000.
Loss the Building.
| The block is an old three-story brick
| building. with three store rooms on the
| ground floor and frontage OF about
sixty feet on Louisiana street and
| about forty feet on Meridian street.
The corner room 10 occupied by the United
States Express Company's office and the