The morning call., 1894-01-04
WENT UP IN SMOKE.
The Largest Fire Toledo Has
Had in Twenty Years.
Flames Driven Before the Northwest
Wind Were Almost Impossi-
bic to Control.

TOLEDO Jan. 3.-A fire tonight, which
caused loss Of fully S1.000.000, broke out
a few minutes after IN the elevator of
T. \. Quale 81 Co., on River street. front
ing on Madison and Water. The cause is
as yet unknown. but an explosion of dust
caused general alarm. and the elevator,
with its contents. was entirely destroyed.
A strong northwest wind blowing, carried
the flames across Madison street to the
elevator and business block Of c. A. King
& Co., which is a total loss. and the flames
also spread westward across Water street
to The rear of the large fve-storv business
block known as the Chamber of Commerce
building, owned by T. P. Blown and occu-
pied by the Western Union Telegraph
Company, the American District Company
and large number Of Offices, which was
also destroyed. From this the flames spread
south to the next building, five stories
high, occupied as museum and theater,
and this was Quilted within a few minutes.
The next building southwark was the
wholesale drug house of West & Truax,
and was total loss.
Te the west the flames leaped across
Summit street, the chief retail street of
the city, iDjuring the Hartford block. but
the fire was here checked without great
damage. In the rear of this building is the
Office of the Postal Telegraph Company,
the manager of which removed all the
apparatus possible. thus cutting off all
telegraphic communication for time, as
the Western Union Office and its instru-
meDts were destroyed. The two-story
block on the northwest corner of Water
and Madison streets. diagonally across
from the Quale elevator. was also de-
stroyed.
The losses 80 far as ascertained are as
follows: F. n. Quale & Co., elevator
building. $4,000, fully insured. as was
also the grain in store; g. A. King e. Co..
SAL, 900 on building; T. P. Brown, Cham
Der of Commerce building $4,000, insur-
ance S1lO 600; Wonderland. loss on build
ing $4,000, on contents $4,000; West
& Truax. loss On building $4,000, on
stock 5000, fully insured on the latter :;
losses of various business firms and offices
in the King block and Chamber of Com
merce building 100000. insurance un-
known; other losses, $4,000. The total
loss will reach nearly $1,000, 600.
Owing to the high wind help was re-
Guested from the nearest cities. and the
APPEAL was responded to promptly by
Cleveland. Detroit and Adrian, the
engines OF the two latter reaching the city
before the fire was under control and
rendered efficient service. 1t was the
largest fire which has visited Toledo in the
past twenty years.
Later estimates place the total loss at
81, 200, 900. with insurance of about three
fifths of this amount. The following ad-
ditianal losses have been reported: Il. p
Brown. Chamber of Commerce, 100000; /;
c. l.. Luce estate, $4,000; j. II. Moore.
museum, $4,000; West e. Truax, whole
sale drugs. building. $4,000; Second Ma
tional Bank. S25.000 and $780, 600 in cur
rency in the vaults, thought TO be safe :;
! splitter d Co.. bankers, $40, 900 and guam
| tity OF bonds in the vault. possibly lost.
/ ana the losses of other tenants of the
| Chamber of Commerce building is heavy :;
Western Union Telegraph Company, loss
$4,000; American District Telegraph
| Company. $4,000; Onion Central Life,
! $4,000; Bacon & Huber, architects, $780,
0oc; E. 0. Falls, architect. S25. 1000; A. B.
/ Sturgis. architect, $4,000; R. G. Dun &,
! Co.'S office. S25. 600; other Offices occpnied
! by attorneys, brokers, insurance agents
! and others, who lost all their libraries
/ furniture and fixtures; Sen Coad. two
! buildings and saloon stock, $4,000
The principal buildings damaged suffer
as follows: Hartford block, $4,000: An
derson block. $4,000; street railway Offices,
! S8000.