The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-28
FOUR HOUSES BURNED
LOCATED OVER A MILE FROM A
FIRE COMPANY.
Owner of One Becomes Almost Insane
in the Belief that His Wife
Had Perished.

Four cottages on North Mississippi street.
near Eighteenth, were burned to the ground
late yesterday afternoon. The portion of
another house was so badly burned that it
will probably have to be torn away, and
several other houses in the neighborhood
were badly scorched The destroyed crop
erty was in that part of the city north
of the creek without fire protection, the
nearest engine house being over a mile
away, the nearest fire plug being two
squares and the nearest fire alarm box six
squares away. The total loss is placed at
5000. and the losers are people of moderate
circumstances.
The fire started in the cottage of John
Marshall. colored, No. 1862 North Missis-
sippi street. Mrs. Marshall was sick in
bed and alone in the house. She smelled
smoke shortly after o'clock and arose.
Throwing the door leading into the kitchen
open she was met by a rush of flames and
smoke She went to the front porch and
cried for help and then fell exhausted. The
neighbors who were aroused carried her to
a place of safety, and some one ran to the
fire alarm box at the corner of Illinois and
Twenty-second streets The tower watch
man discovered the blaze, however, before
the regular alarm came in and the depart
ment was on it's way to the scene. The
run from the city to Eighteenth street is
long one, and 1t was twenty minutes before
the first hose wagon reached there The
first company to arrive had not enough
hose to reach from Illinois street to the
fire and it was several minutes later when
water was first thrown on the burning cot
tages, for by the time it was obtained,
three cottages were ablaze. So sudden was
the start and the spread that very little
of the household effects were saved from
either of the cottages. There was strong
south wind blowing, which caused the
flames to spread from the place where they
first started. Had the wind been from the
north, the department would have been
powerless to prevent a spread to the south:
which would have meant the destruction of
possibly a dozen houses.
From the Marshall homo the flames COM
municated to No. 1868, occupied and owned
by George G: Hays. From there they
spread to the homes of Mrs. Briggs and
Albert Reeder These four cottages were
completely destroyed. The occupants were
colored people, who are now temporarily
homeless. The Reeder cottage is owned by
III. G. East. two-story house owned and
occupied by Henry Thompson was severely
least 81 500. Marshall's loss is 81, 900; Hays's,
81 200; Mrs. Briggss, 81 ,400 and III. G. East.
$3.50. There is very little insurance on any
of the property.
While the fire was in progress Mr.. Mar
shall came running up and his first in
In the excitement everybody seemed to
forget that she had been carried to a
neighbours, and Mr.. Marshall supposing she
had been burned to death, was nearly dis
tracted. He started to rush toward his
home, but was detained. His cottage at
the time was completely enveloped in flames
and the blaze from the burning buildings
swept nearly across the street. So intense
was the heat that persons did not dare to
go within a hundred feet of the buildings.
Mr.. Marshall nevertheless, rushed toward
his home, only to be driven back by the
flames and smoke. His grief was pitiable.
He rushed back and forth on the opposite
side of Mississippi, waving his arms frantic
ally and calling upon heaven for aid. He
home, but he could not live without his
wife, After Mr. Marshall had suffered for
fully thirty minutes some one appeared
who knew OF his Wife's safety and the poor
man was relieved of his suspense. 1t was
fully two hours, however, before he was
thought that the agony caused by the belief
that his wife had persisted in the flames
had unbalanced his mind. Last night Mr..
Marshall had fully recovered and his joy
him forget in a way the loss of his home.
Hundreds of people living north of Fall
creek visited the scene OF the fire last
evening. Indignation ran high amongst
them, for they have been asking fire pro-
lection for two years, and until recently
have been expecting a serious fire for some
time. The fire of yesterday emphasized the
helpiessness of the property owners north
of Fall creek when fire once begins. Last
push the engine house question, for which
preliminary steps have been taken by the
Board of Public Works The residents claim
that If there had been a company located
north of Fall creek, only one cottage would
have been destroyed, and their claims ap