The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-04-27
A STUBBORN BLAZE.

Buvuin< Of the kvsn Commissi"" s"~s
Elevator In 1t. Louis The Cou~tructso"
81 the building aud its surr"u""'"ss
Made n One Of the Worst Fires 4" ttghs
the -. Louis Department Has Had TOR
Many Years The i.oss aud Insurance.
ST. Loris. April 2i.-The grain ele-
vator OF the Ryan Commission Co. ~
1904 and 1906 Clark avenue was totally
DESTROYED 10y fire yesterday afternoon.
The flames and smoke were first seen
issuing from the car door on the west
side Of the building. As soon a. the
engines arrived the ircmcn perceived
that more help would be needed. ana
two more alarms were turned IN, ana
when Chief Lindsey arrived shortly
afte~ the last alarm a general alarm
was sounded.
The building was three-story frame
structure. about l50xi0o, and fully 100
feet high. The outside of the building
was covered with sheet iron. making
il almost impossible to fight the fre
with any effect shortly after the gen
eral alarm was turned in the flames
broke through the west side CT the
building. near the center. A half dozen
streams were poured through the crew
ice but the flames continued TO spread
until they gradually found egress
through the roof. fifteen streams
were turned on. but the fire continued
To burn fiercely until the walls sue
| cumbed: the last one on the Clark ave
nue. side fell about o'clock.
As near as could bc nsceriained. The
fire originated in the elevator shat
near the second floor. and is supposed
to have been caused bv lot OF grain
dust. which produced spontaneous com
/ bustion.
The fire was one Of the hottest tina
the department has ever fought. an
was much like that which de>troye,
the Mississippi elevator. two years ago
After the blaze had become genera
throughout the hailding the heat car
ricd huge cindcrs into the air. 10 .h'
great danger of adjacsnt property
The wind blew almost a hurrican
from the west. the effect OF which va
detrimental TO the work Of the fire
men. as the wind was driven into fh
openings in the west SIDE ~ the build
ing. spreading the fire over to the cas-
side. Falling portions of the wall
made the positions Of the tircmen dan
gerons. Several tiremen had mario,
escapes. The smoke stack fell upo
the roof Of the onc-story brick occr
pied bv the Crown linsced oil work
and rcbounded a portion Of il piercin
the roof of the Evans tobacco ware
house in the rear. The rcd-hot pip
was Immediately cut away by the "a
wage corps.
Chemical engines KEEP: the fire fror
igniing the American Express Co
stables on the east side of Sixtcent
street and the other buildings sui
rounding.
Insurance TO the amount of slGi.o "
was placed on the two buildings an
|. machinery. The total amount OF risk
on the elevator was placed at $50. 90
with s2.0o0 additional on the stoc
contained therein. The loss is est
mated at so pei cent of the abov
amounts.
The elevator was built in 1879. an
was occupied by the Collier White Lea
Co. until the White Lead trust W;
formed, when il was leased 10 the y;
tional Linseed Oil Co.. whose hca
quarters are in Chicago.
Several years ago II was again lease
this time to the Ryan Commission G
) An estimate of their losses could not
obtained last night. though it sknov
that they had about 5000 bushels
: wheat stored in the elevator at Il
time of the fire.