The Irish standard., 1894-07-28

ried to place of safety.
Loss Over 82bO,OOO.
Nearly all of the company's express
wagons and the contents of the large
storage building were burned. The
Adams Express company's stable, adj
joining the Knox building to the
north, was almost entirely consumed.
About $50 horses were in the Adams
Express company's stables, but all
were taken out by the hardest k1uu of
work on the part of citizens and po-
licemen.
Eight two-story houses on the alley
north of the Knox building and two
small frame houses back of the Adams
stables were destroyed. Six or eight
other residence houses were more or
less damaged. Mitchelrs blacksmith
shop on Second street was crushed by
falling walls The total loss will ex-
coed $3.50, 900.
Awakened by Smoke.
The fire was discovered about $3.50
o'clock A number of men were
sleeping in the Knox building and
were awakened by smoke. They
found the entire rear of the second
floor of the building in flames and had,
hardly time to escape with their lives.
Before they had left the building the
blaze had communicated to the three
story rear part of the Adams stables,
and was darting out of the windows.
of the second and first floors of both.
buildings in the rear. A policeman
sent in an alarm through a patrol
box. 1t was still alarm and
brought out two companies and
truck. Five minutes later
general alarm was turned in,
and in five minutes more the en-
tire fire department of the city was
on hand. Every company and every
fireman was needed. A hotter fire
never ragged. The flames poured in
great sheets from the doors and win
dows of the great tables. All this
was in a very few moments. A hum
dred men ran into the Adams stables
and cut loose the $50 horses they con-
tanned. The animals were then turned
into the street
Horses In q Fiery Furnace.
The horses of the Knox company
could not be reached. There were 2O5
Of them, and they were on the second
story of the building, which was q
seething mass of flames from the very
start. The Knox building was
a four-story structure of brick.
On the first floor were the heavy
wagons of the concern, on the
second floor the horses, on the third
and fourth floors hay in large quanti-
ties and merchandise of all kinds,
which had been stored with the COM
pany. Another four-story building of
the Knox company, facing on Second
street and connected with the stables,
separated only by thin brick wall,
was used entirely for storage pur-
poses. 1t was packed from base
ment to roof with furniture and
merchandise. It is in this building the
greatest loss occurred. The heat was
so intense that fremen were obliged to-
throw water on each other repeatedly
in oroer that they might continue at
their posts. The men who had to hold
lines of hose on the B street 'front.' of
the Knox building were obliged to lie
fat and hold their faces to the ground,
so awful was the heat.
Hemnaed in by Flames.
A portion of the wall in the rear of
the Adams building fell into the alley
and across the back exit. The MEM
bers of hose company No. 1 and several
men of other companies were caught
inside of the building. Fire Chief
PARIS rushed to the rescue. Half a
dozen leads of hose were turned
upon the burning mass, which had
fallen in front of the exit. As the
bricks cooled slightly twenty fremen
and as many policemen rushed into
the bui lding. It was an awful risk.
The walls Of the Knox building were
tottering. Atany moment they might
have fallen and crushed the smaller
Adams building under them. In
moment the rescuers emerged
from what was thought to be
q death pit. In their arms they
dragged the bodies of three fire.
men who had been hurt by falling
bricks. While they were inside the
heat had been so intense that they
were almost baked alive. Their COM
rat1es were also scorched and singed.
| All were dragged back to the opposite
sidewalk. Two minutes after the party
came out the upper floors Of the Knox
lbuilding fell. Only the semi-toWer
which formed the Office corner OF Tho The
building was left stand ling.