The Portland daily press., 1894-01-04
BLOCK AFTER BLOCK WENT
The Flames Spread Rapidly in the
Heart Of Toledo.
NEARLY A MILLION LOST IN A FEW
SHORT HOURS.

Buildings Destroyed-The Fire Origi-
mated in Great Elevator and Got
Long Start-It Leaped in All Directions
The Loss Estimated at $3.50, 90 With
an Insurance of 500, 200.
Toledo, January 3.-After ENJOYING
immunity from disastrous fires for about
ten years, Toledo tonight experienced
the worst conaagration in it's history. At
ten minutes before six, flames were seen
to break from the top of the Quale.
elevator on the corner of Water and
Madison streets ON the river front. The
firemen were slow in getting the alarm,
and when they arrived the flames had
possession of the top story Of the eIeva-
tor. Five minutes after the first line of
hose was laid, four explosions followed
each other in quick succession and the
fire issued from ali sides of the building.
The firemen experienced considerable
delay in getting water on tho blaze.
Within fifteen minutes after the first
alarm, the elevator of G. A. King e. Co.,
caught fire. The heavy wind blowing
from the southeast carried the flames to
the Chamber OF Commerce, a seven story
building on the southwest corner of
Madison and Water streets. While fight
Ing the flames on the rear of the Quale
elevator, Capt. Frazer of engine com
pany Mol, was struck by falling tim
Der and probably fatally injured. From
the Chamber of Commerce, the fire
spread to the adjoining seven story build
Ing Of C.L. Luce, occupied as TheWonder-
land Museum and Theatre by Col. J. H.
Moore. Next to this building stood a
five story building occupied by West aud
Trux, wholesale druggists In an in
credibly short time these buildings were
one mass of fame. Taking a northwest
erly direction from the King elevator,
the fire found its way into the King
block, four story building running haif
the length of the block ssbetween Madison
and Adams streets. This was one of the
Oldest structures in the city and proved
an easy prey to the flames.
At eight the fire threatened to spread
from the King block to the elevator of
wind was blowing partial gale. The
Hartford block, four stories in height,
having a frontage of about eighty feet,
standing opposite the Cham ber of Com
merce and on the west side of Summit
street, took fire from the Chamber of
Commerce. and in a comparatively short
time was a complete wreck inside, the
damage being from water only as the
fremen succeeded in combining the flames
to the cornice of the building. 20 the
right of the Hartford building stood a
thu story building occupied by the
Toledo Rubber company; J. r. Boosman,
men, n,sssfurnishings;N. Judd, jeweler; I. n
Reed, drugs; and Others. This building
was deluged with water to prevent the
flames spreading and it's contents will be
a complete loss. The fire was under con-
troll at ten, after having destroyed
property the aggregate value of which is
estimated at S85n, 900. On this the in
surance is about $780, OO0 Julian O'Dell,
a hoseman, was run over by q cart and
fatally injured. The losses are:
Quale elevator, Si2o, 700, insured $685.
0oO
Chamber of Commere, $4,000; insured
500, 500.
King elevator, $50, 600, wholly insured.
King block, S35, Ono. wholly insured.
Hartford block, $76, 600, insurane S25,-
0O0
Minor losses aggregating S100, 600, the
insurane on which cannot be estimated.
On the round floor of the Chamber of
Commerce were theSecondN ationaI bank,
the Splitter bank, the Western Union
telegraph Office and the American Dis
trict telegraph office. They lost all their
Office furniture, books and machinery.
1t is believed the money contained in the
vaults of the Second National bank was
not injured. The destruction of the
American District telegraph Office leaves
the city without police or fire aiarmS