The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-13
MILLION-DOLLAR FIRE
American Glucose COmpany's Big
Plant at Buffalo Burned.
Four Workman and Two Firemen In
jured-POssibility that Several Per-
sons Perished i'm the Flames.

BUFFALO, April 12.-The plant Of the
American Glucose Company burned to-
night. The loss will be about s1.O0o,OOO. The
insurance is $5S5, 900. The works of the
company consisted Of an eleven-story
brick building used for the manufacture
of glucose and starch. an e.ght-story brick
building used as a power house and as
place for making the cattle-feedng prod
uct an eight-story brick building used as
a refinery and an eight-stOry storehouse.
The fire was discovered in the dynamo
room of the main building shortly after
o'clock, by the engineer. He gave the
alarm and he and his firemen rushed out.
In ten minutes the whole eleven floors
were on fire and flames were bursting
through the windows and darting from the
roof. There were perhaps 125 men at work
tonight. 1t will not be known until
census of the employees is taken to-mor-
row whether one man or fifty was Gre
mated 1t is known that some of the men
escaped by the fire escapes and some of
those on lower stories jumped into the
canal. A great many of the men at work
on the upper floors were ignorant Poles
and Germans. They may have been
burned. 1t is impossible TO tell now. The
chances are, however, that several men
were burned to death. AS II was four OF
the men who jumped were hurt. These
are: John Young. workman, jumped,
hurt about the head and face; two Poles.
who cannot speak English, names I'M
known, both severely injured, and one has
both legs broken; John Stein, workman,
severely burned.
In fifteen minutes the entire main build
ing was mass of flames In twenty min
utes the walls began to fall. And they fell
at frequent intervals until inside of forty
five minutes there was but one corner
standing. The main building was connected
with the power and feed house by an ele-
waited bridge over Scott street. The flames
crept across this and ignited the feed house.
Meanwhile the city fish market, Just across
the street, caught fire. Five firemen were
sent inside 1t to fight the flames and a num-
Der of streams were turned on the roof.
The building was long, lew brick struct-
ure and the firemen made good tight to
save IL. but a portion Of a AlaZing wall
fell it and started the roof 20 burning
fiercely. The fremen inside did not know
of this and no one told them The conse-
quence was that in a few minutes the roof
fell e. and buried the five rremen. Three
of them escaped with no other injuries than
q few bruises. but John Weber and Lieu
tenant Louis Schrader, of the same com
pary, were not SO fortunate. Weber was
taken out unconscious. His face is badly
burned. some of his ribs broken and he has
also internal injuries. 1t is a question
whether he lives or dies. Lieutenant
Schrader had his back and legs furt. Both
were taken to hospitals.
The feed house was completely destroyed.
the walls all having fallen by 10 o'clock.
The refinery and the stOrehouse went next,
and by IL o'clock there was nothing left
of the establishment but few lettering
walls. The glucose works were owned and
controlled by G. j. Hamlin. the famous
trottinC horseman. and his sons After Y
o clock the progress of the fire was checked.
Ii VIII be several hours before it is COM
pletely under control