Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-04
HALF A MILLION IN ASHES.
Chamber of Commerce and Elevators
Burned at Toledo.

Chamber of Commerce and Elevators
Burned at Toledo.
At ten minutes before o'clock last even
ing flames were seen to break from the top
story Of the Quale elevator. situated at the
corner of Water and Madison streets, and
on the river 'front.' Toledo. In some unex-
planned manner the firemen were annoyingly
slow in getting the alarm. and when they
arrived at the scene the flames had possess
sion Of the top stery of the great elevator.
Five minutes, after ,--e first line Of hose was
laid four explosions followed each other in
quick succession. and fire issued from all
sides of the building.
The firemen experienced considerable de-
lay in getting water on the blaze, and before
they realized the gravity of the situation
they were driven up Madison street and
along Water street by the fury of the
flames. Within fifteen minutes after the
first alarm was sounded the elevator of G..
A. King Il Co. caught fire. and the heavy
wind blowing from the southeast carried the
flames to the chamber OF commerce. seven
story building on the southwest corner OF
Madison and Water streets. At this point,
while nghting the flames on the rear OF the
Quale elevator, Capt. Frazer of Engine Com
pany No. was struck by falling timber
and probably fatally injured.
From the chamber Of commerce the fire
spread to the seven-story building of c. l..
land museum theater by Col. j. II. Moore,
who has like enterprises in Detroit, Mich,
and Toronto. Next to this building stood
the five-story building occupied by West d
Truax, wholesale druggists. In an incredi-
bly, short space of time the buildings were
one mass or flames. Taking a Northwestern
ly direction from the KING elevator the fire
found It's way into the King block-a four
story building, running hair the length of
the block, between Madison and Adams
streets. This was one of the oldest struct-
ures in the city. and proved an easy victim
to the flames.
from the KING block to the elevator OF
Young q BacKus. At that hour the wind
was blowing partial gale, and 1t was i'm
possible to tell now rar the blaze would go
on Water street. Directly across from the
chamber of commerce, corner of Jefferson
and Summit streets, stood the Hartford
block, four stories In height, and having a
frontage of about eighty rect. This was the
street to take fire from the chamber of COM
merce, and in short time it was a complete
wreck inside, but the damage was from
water only, as the firemen succeeded in con-
filming the flames to the cornice Of the build
ing.
TO the right of the Hartford building and
adjoining stood the three-stOry building &C.
cupied by r. J. Wallace as a saloon; the
Toledo Rubber Company, rubber goods;
PATS dental parlors, A. Zeiss & Co., cigars;
Jacob Hockenberger, saloon; j. r. Roosman,
gents furnishing goods; N. Judd, jewele-,
and L. n. Reed, druggist. This building was
deluged with water to prevent the flames
from spreading, and the contents will be a
complete loss The losses so far are: On
the Quale elevator $120,OOO insurance about
S95,OOO; on the chamber of commerce $14O-
coo, insurance about 100000; on the King
elevator $4,000 wholly insured; on the King
block $4,000 wholly insured on the Hart
ford block $4,000. insurance $25.000. g.
Tho minor losses will aggregate $780, 900,
the insurance on which cannot be estima ted
On the ground floor of the chamber OF
commerce were the Second National Bank,
the Splitter Bank, the Western Union tele-
graph office and the American District tele-
graph office. They lost everything in the
way of Office furniture, books and ma
chinery.
1t is believed that whatever money was
contained in the vaults of the Second Ma
tional Bank has not been injured. The de-
struction of the American District telegraph
office leaves the city without police or fire
alarm.