The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-04-13
big BLAZE.
Destruction Of the American Glu-
oose Company's Plant.
FEARS THAT SEVERAL WERE LOST.

The Flames Spread So Rapidly That
workmen In the Upper Stories Must
Have Perished-The Financial Loss rs
timated at n Million Dollars.
BUFFALO, April 13-The plant Of the
American Glucose company, owned by G..
]. Hamilton, was burned pst night. The
loss will be about 81 100000 insurance,
t5s5 900. The works of the company are
situated on the Hamburg canal, Scott,
Perry and East and West Market streets
They consisted of an eleven story brick
building used for the manufacture of glu-
cose and starch, an eight story brick build
ing used as a power house and as place
for making the cattle feeding product
which is made from the corn after the glu-
cose is extracted; an eight story brick
building used as a refinery, and an eight
story store house. In ten minutes after
the fire was discovered the whole eleven
floors were on fire.
The Glucose company ordinarily en-
ploys a great number of men, but Of late
it has not been running at its full capac-
ity, although it has been working day
and night. There were perhaps 175 men
at work last night. 1t will not be known
until a census of the employees is taken
whether one man or fifty men were ere
mated. II is known that some of the men
escaped by the fire escapes, and some of
those on the lower stories jumped into the
canal. A great many of the men at work
on the upper floors were ignorant Poles
and Germans. The chances are that sey-
eral men were burned to death.
As it was four of the men who jumped
were hurt. They are: John Young, head
and face; John Stein, severely injured and
| burned; two poles who cannot speak En-
glish, names unknown, both severely in
jured, one having both legs broken
The fire spread with incredible rapidity.
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 con-
nected with the power and feed house by
an elevated bridge over Scott street The
flames crept across this and ignited the
feed house. This burned more slowly than
the main building, but for all that it was
but q short time until the flames had com
J plete control of the buildings.
Meanwhile the Buffalo city fish market,
| which stood across the street, on the cor
ner of Scott and West Market streets,
caught fire Five firemen were sent inside
to Eight the flames, and number Of
streams were turned on the roof. A por-
tion OF blazing wall fell on il, and started
/ the roof to burning fiercely. In few min
utes the roof fell in and buried the five
| iremen Three of them escaped with no
/ other injuries than a few bruises, but
/ John Weber, Of engine No. IA, was taken
/ out unconscious. His face is badly burned,
some Of his ribs are broken, and he also
/ has internal injuries. 1t is a question
/ whether he lives or dies. Lieutenant
! Schraeder has his back and legs hurt
! Both we're taken to hospitals.
! The feed house was completely destroyed,
tho walls all having fallen by 10 O'clock
| The refinery and the store house went
/ next, and by II o'clock there was nothing
left of the mammoth establishment but a
few tottering walls At midnight the pro-
gress of the fire was checked, but it was
not until o'clock this morning that it
| was completely under control.