The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-20

BUFFALO. N. Y. Dee. 1.-THE Arcade
block, which has stood for more than
thirty years a landmark in the very
heart of the city, was entirely destroyed
by fire today. The fire also swept away
the Yerza building. which stood on the
south of the Arcade, and did its work
80 rapidly and completely that very
little of the valuable contents Of the
buildings were saved. The loss is esti-
mated at not short Of s750,OOQ.
Buffalo has not seen in many years
such a furious blaze, and it is doubtful
If there is here another structure that
seemed so well adapted to Withstand
flames as the old Arcade. People had
come to look upon it as thoroughly fire
proof, but nothing remains now but
smoking pile of ruins; the big block
burned like finder and at one time the
flames threatened a large section of the
business portion of the city. The alarm
was sent out about $40 this morning,
but before the fire department responded
it was seen that the flames had got be-
you'd control
Firms Which Suffer.
In the Arcade were NJ. S. Robinson's
musee, Sheares's music hall and a large
number of stores ond offices. 1t is ex-
tended from 200 AIain-st. about 900 feet,
running through to Westinghouse. 1t
was protected on one side by the fire
wall of the building occupied by ]. n.
Adam & Co.'S big dry goods store, and
the firemen, aided by this, managed to
stay the progress Of the flames. Had
this not been done the entire block
bounded by Main, Washington, Eagle
and Clirton-sts. would have undoubted-
ly been destroyed.
The owners of the Arcade block were
Public Works Commissioner James
Mooney Of this city, James Brisbane Of
New York. and the latter's mother, Mrs.
George Brisbane of Batavia, N. Y. The
Yerza building was owned by George b.
Mathews, a well known miller of this
city, and was occupied by Faxon, Will
Jams e FaXon, grocers, who came here
from Boston several years ago and es-
tablished the finest grocery house in
Buffalo, succeeding f. N. Yerza-
The Losses.
The Arcade was four stories of brick
and was valued at 100000. The in
surance is about eighty thousand dollars.
The Yerza building was worth 500, 900
and the insurance was about thirty thou
sand dollars. FaXon, Williams &
Faxon's stock was valued at $500, 900 and
was insured for $4,000.
Mr.. Robinson's loss on the Musee
theater is about one hundred thousand
dollars. He had very little insurance.
This theater was known as wonder
land" II was similar to his Rochester
and Detroit theaters Shears's music hall
was patterned after Roster & Bailey in
New York. Shea and Eberhardt. the
owners, suffer a loss Of $4,000. Their
insurance amounts to very little. They
were organizing a stock company and
had allowed most of their policies to
expire. T. G. Tanke jeweler, is the next
heaviest loser. his loss being about sixty
thousand dollars, with insurance scarce
ly third Of that amount. Otto Ulbrich
loses about fifty thousand dollars; in
surance $50, 900.
On both the Main and Westinghouse.
sides of the building there was a number
Of stores of various kinds which were
completely wiped out.
Caused by an Explosion.
In less than four hours the fire had
spent its fury. Most of those who had
remained in the building during the night
claim to have heard an explosion by
which it is supposed the fire originated
Everything about the building was of
the most inf1ammable nature, and aided
by the strong draught, the entire struc-
ture was wrapped in flames in less than
half an hour from the time the alarm
was given.
So far as can be learned no one was
seriously injured. although many of the
hremen had narrow escapes during the
four hours that the fire ragged most
fiercely. Both police and firemen, when
they first arrived upon the scene, made
a tour through the Arcade as far as the
flames would permit them owing to the
exciting rumor that some people within
were in danger of being burned to death
Intense excitement prevailed during the
entire morning, as several of those who
had really escaped could not be found.
They were found later in the day, how
ever.
Although it is claimed that the fire
originated from an explosion of gas it
is not known just how that explosion
occurred. There are two boilers in the
building, one belonging to Shearss music
hall and the other TO Robinson's musee
They were within ten feet of each
other near the center of the building
Natural gas was used in the furnace
and to furnish heat for the boilers.