The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-13
AFTER THE BIG FIRE
A. KIEFER COMPANY's Loss MAX
POSSIBLY REACH $4,000.
Examination of the Fire WalI-Fur>
man Stout VIII Immediately Re-
build on Old Site.

George w. Stout, whose wholesale grocery
establishment on South Meridian street
was almost totally destroyed by. fire Mon
day afternoon. will continue his business
by filing his orders through the other
Wholesale houses, for the present He has
established a temporary Office above the
rooms at No. 74-76 South Meridian street.
occupied by the McCune-Malott Wholesale
Grocery Company. The building which
burned belonged to Furman Stout the
father of Mr.. G. w. Stout, and it is his
intention to rebuild Immediately, and when
the building is completed Mr.. Stout will In
all probability again occupy it as whole
sole grocery house. AS yet, he has not de-
cided on location wherein to carry on his
business until the building is erected.
The ruins of the burned building were
a mass of frozen debris yesterday. The
floors and wall which fell in during the
fire precipitated their contents into the
open space on the south of the building,
and Monday night the water which was
thrown on to them froze. In the mass or
ice could be distinguished the forms OF
tubs, buckets, baskets, canned goods, and
all the supplies of a large grocery establish
ment. inside the building the ruin was
widespread. Several inches of water had
frozen the floor, and the stock stored on
the upper floors which had fallen in filled
the center part of the rooms, I'D was
heaped up into the second story. This was
covered with a thick coating of ice. In
the Office the chairs were still drawn close
left by their occupants when the fire was
discovered. The Office was but slightly
burned, but was flooded with water. The
front of the building and the large number
of telephone wires were hung with thou
sands of icicles presenting striking picture
The street and sidewalk were also covered
with ice forming one huge cake.
There was little or no salvage in the
burned building. In the rear was stored
aoff ,, cf1n So ard hi
uninjured save by some water which
ran in on to 1t.
The loss on the drug stock of the. A.
was at first estimated. Yesterday it was
stated that $4,000 will scarcely cover the
soaked There was an immense quantity
of water thrown on the roof and in the top
story, and this ran down through the floors,
Yesterday Building Inspector Pendergast
examined the walls of the Leber building,
may be necessary to reconstruct at least a
part of the south wall which was next to
the fire. Some of the joists became 50 hot
that they were charred to some extent,
making their longer use dangerous This
is the second fire which the south wall has
withstood, and 1T is natural that 1t should
be weakened considerable If 1t becomes
necessary to rebuild 1t the loss the build
ing will be greatly increased.
F. A. w. Davis, of the Indianapolis Water
Company, stated yesterday that at none or
the recent fires has the water pressure been
SO weak as represented. He says the weak
streams have been due to bursting hose,
rather than to weak pressure. He states
that no less than 120 pounds pressure has
been brought to bear on any of the recent
fires and this. he claims, is shown by
automatic registers.
The city's contract with the water COM
pany is for q fire pressure sufficient TO throw
eight streams of water. at the same time.
one hundred feet vertically, through inch
nozzles within six minutes after an alarm
is turned in. The city pays about $50 COO
a year for the water supply which Is about
the rate paid for the last twenty years.