Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-28
Proves to Be One of the Worst :s Ever Witnessed There.
FIREMEN FIGHT BRAVELY
And by Heroic Efforts Get It Under Controi--Over
 $l,oOO,oOO Loss.

MILWAUKEE, Wis.,, March 7.-At 2:45 o'clock this morning one of the worst ot the many destructive fires in the history of this city was finally got under control. At that time over s1 900 .00O worth of property had been destroyed and twenty business firms had lost theIr stocks and buiidin2s. There were also many minor losses, inclnd- ing offices, flats aud small shops. The fire originated a few minutes after midnight in the wholesale clothing house of Landauer & O.. corner Of Fourth street 2 and Grand avenue. On the Grand avenue side the fl ,mes swept through the build ing occupied by the Tanner company, with house furnishing goods, just adjoin- ing the Iandauer store, and ate this almost ss quickly as the first building, and then passed over 10 two-story building occu- pied by Barring & Wambold, retail cothiers. Here the fremen by heroic work held the fire.
 h the meantime a row of wooden build ings op the north side of Grand avenue, at the corner of Fourth street, caught fire. aud 70 or 80 feet were practically destroyed : on the west side Of Fourth street. h spite of the utmost exertions of the fremen, the flames leaped across to the handsome four- story building of the Young Mems Chris " stroyed before the fire could Ue held. The Foster building, on the southwes, corner of Fourth street and Grand avenue, caught, but was not badly damaged. The Bon march drug store suffered badly, put the other occupants escaped with slight loss. At 12:50 a. m. the public library building on the northwest corner of Grand avenue and Fourth street, caught. This was occu- pied by the Coiumbla Clothing store, Wheeler 6 Wilson Sewing Machine com The half of the building contained the Milwaukee public library, valued at $250, ,0J0. By hard and close lighting the firemen were able to save the library building and the ing. The Young Men' Christian assocla- tion building was completely gutted.
 The fire began eating eastward against the Davidson building, occupied by Nor gan 's large retail dry goods establishment on the first floor and b5 offices in the three upper floors. It was nearly o'clock when the fire department gained control of he confiagratlon, although up to o'clock tcis morning the engines were playing upon the piles of debris, which now and then broke into flames. As far as is known no lives were lost.
 The principal losses are the Plankinton estate on building, Landauer X Co.,. and Tanner & Co. and the public library build ing, S150 ,0C0; Landauer & Co.,, wholesale dry goods, s4oo, ,ooo; Tanner Tan & Co.,, whole
 
 company, s25,OtO; Burlington & Wam- bold, retail clolhers, s9O, 900: benedict & Co.,, cIothiers, S75, GOO; other losses in the library building, SIC, ,000; Roebela Reiu- hardt, art store, $40 GOO.
 On-lhe n forth side of the avenue the prin- cipal losses are: Jos Amschier, saloon and household goods, S5000; Joseph Horwi,z, pawn shop, s1050; SchIiz Brewing com pany, building, s10, coo; Hallman build ings, Grand avenue, s5oOO; damage to other A of flrna nue, S3t00. The pubic library had mar rowe sea pc, and there is some damage by water. The Fister building, on the corner of Fourth street and Grand avenue, was partially detroyed; loss about $40. 900.
 The bre did little damage 10 the fire. proof Matthews block, on the corner of Third street and the avenue, but James Morgan & Co.'s stock of dry goods was damaged by water to the extent of s5J, ,000 The larger concerns are well insured, though the exact amounts can't be ob- tained, as the insurance policies in many cases are in safes and vaults that lie be- nsalh the mass of brick and wreckage where the buildings stood.
 1here was great excitement in the neigh borhood of the fire, especially among the guests at the hotel. The manager of the Schlilz hotel was in the office when the fire broke out, and quietly awakened large number of guests and advised them to be really to escape il the blaze worked it's way
 
 a lively scene for ten or fifteen minutes, and ttun ks and guests got down by way of the elevator and stairway in the hall. It was soon found unnecessary to remove any thing, and most of the baggage was left In the office.
 The Davidson hotel guests had more req son to feel uncomf0rtabie, as many of them occupied rooms next to the alley to the north in the rear of the Plankinton build- ing, and were in real danger all the time. They were notified by the night clerk and there was soon q scramble for the elevator. The office was filled with baggage and a few women and lots of men, who thought there was no hope for the hotel. But little, if anything, was removed from the house and the excitement was over as soon as the people got thoroughly awakened.
 In tb~ building, No. SIS Grand avenue, there were O num6er of women. Some of these were panic-stricken when the fire swept across tho avenue, and stood on a landing on the side of the building, wildly gesticulating and unable to move or to do anything to help themselves. Police Lieutenant Howard and some of the officers went to their assistance, but before the officers could reach them two jumped from the second story. Both struck on pole in the alley way and were ipj 1red, but how badly or who they were could not be learned, as they were carried of by friends in the crowd.