The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-02-04

OMAHA, Feb. 3.-Another such IRE ~
ahst which destroyed the Boston store.
aud threatened the business center of
Omaha for a time this evening. was proba-
,ly never fought by the 6remen. Al Gas
clock tiny spark was noticed falling in
,ae OF the show windows Of the Boston
ore, and at ESQ o'clock the entire build
-. Was in blaze. The building stood at
as corner Of Sixteenth aud Douglas
streets, in the very center OF the retail
district 1t bad three large show windows
on the Sixteenth street front aud fve on
he Douglas street size. These were all
draped with fabrics of the most inflamma-
BILE nature. and the fire ran through them
with a speed most app.lling. 1t was hasily
y moment from The time the first spark
was noticed until the flames burst through
the windows.
Inside the store WAS crowded with CLERKS
and customers, it being the custom OF the
hrn TO keep open On Saturday night for
special sales. In the basement was the
uotiou department aud oh the second do,r
was the millinery ard CLOAK department.,
while the third floor was occupied by a
night school. Consideration reigued
among the people In the store when the
II ,mrs We're seen aud q mad rush for the
exits began. Men, women aud ehildreu
crowded for the streets, the ssl-s girls and
casa girls leaving their wraps aud other
personal belongings TO the flames. So far
as can be learned at midnight everybody
escaped alive, but y uuInUer Of he xiris
employed in the millinery and cloak de-
partment were badly scorched aud bis
tered. several losing all their hair.
Ga the west stood ~. M,gfsiea's
church On the south. across DoagIas'
Was he Young Meu's Christian associs
tion bniiding and a row of 3-stoey d ats
Ou the ground door of the association
building is Thompson u Belden's dry
goods store. They suffered considerable
loss The upper floors of the Hats were
cleaned cut. West Of st. Magdalen's
church was the new Patterson block, com
peted abont four months ago. and oaly
partly occupied. IL was also damaged To
considerable extent.
The intense heal from the Boston store
kept the firemcn ous OF that portion of
Douglas street for half an hour. aud this
gave the flames chance to get across the
street. 50 rapidly did the Bost.,u store
burn that the cashier xbandoned The Cash
in the drawer and the b1ok KEEPERS bad 10
leave the books on which they We're work
lug. The escape OF the inmates from the
blazing tiuder box Was all but msrscu-
lous.
Inspector Hartman Of the ocal und,r-
writers association approxin ,te- he loss
at 1850 900 ID her estimates place IL ss
tow $255, 900. Tue Bostonstore and build
ing was owned by j. l.. Braudsi- & sons
IL is total loss, hardly one brick rems;u-
lug on the other. Their loss ~ estimated
al $200, 900 cn stock and <35 600 oD She
Duiliing. They carried an Insurance ON
their stock of So, 0Oa aud on the buil,iiug
of $50 900. Rohr~Daugh a. Co., who con
duc.ed the night school aud business col
lege. place their loss AT IS 000 with 5000
insurance. Thompson & Beidrn's io,, IS
chiefly from water. Their stock Was COM
pieteiy soaked. What they will lose can
not be told until the adju-ters complete
their work The firm Carries $l00, 90 On
tue stock and go, ,eJ0 on the fixtures. Tue
other losses were slight, divided -mong
many persons. aggr-gatins about ti0. Que.
with little or no INSURANCE.