Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-09-20
BLAZE
Early Morning Fire in Large Build
ings in indianapolis Causes a
Loss of 81 100000.
TELEGRAPH WIRES ARE DOWN
And the Report Comes Via the Long
Distance Telephone 100000
in Cash Imperilled.

lNplANAroGIs, via long distance tele-
phone) Sept. l8.-At O'Clock this morn
ing fire broke ont in five story building
on Washington street, between Meridian
and Pennsylvania, occupied by Eastman,
SchleiEhter n Lee. 1t spread immedi-
ateIy to Il stone building on the east,
occupied by the ludiaua National bank,
thence to the United States and Amer
lcan express buildings The fire com.
municated to the five story Western
Union building, fronting GA South Merl-
dian street. The building Of Eastman,
Schleighter 81 Lee, the Indiana National
bank and the express Offices have been
entirely destroyed. The losa is estimated
at this hour at 81 O00U00. The Western
Union building may be saved, but has
been deserted, as the upper floor is do
stroyed Eastman, Schleighter g. Lee
carried a stock of carpets, etc. valued at
t2OO,0OO. The insurance is not known
All telegraphic communication is cut off
Next to the bank building is a four story
building occupied by the Pacific OK
press and the United States express
Co g, with office rooms above. Next
comes three-stOry brick occupied by
George Mansfield, a clothing merchant
and George Wingerler, tobacco dealer
Those buildings and stocks are badly
dom raH ID ft,x,, q
Meridian street. is tho BIaclIfoot block,
four stories high, and OF brick Con-
siderable damage was done in this block
by smoke and water.
At Q o'clock the fire was under control,
but the Western Union Offices IN the
Condit block, brick, five stories high,
we're still blazing, The upper floor, used
as battery room, aud the floor below,
used as an operating room, were flooded
and all the wires burned out, cutting off
all communication with other points.
A three.story brick on Meridian
street, north of the Western
Union building, occupied by the
Meyer Stencil company and the
saloon Of George Weies was flooded with
water. The great vault in the Indiana
National bank, situated ia tho rear of
the building and fronting on Pearl
street, contains nearly @2,0DO,00O IN cash.
The flames licked clean everything
around it, but the money is believed 10
be safe. Across the alley from the burn
cd quarter, on Washington street, stands
the SIX story Pettis dry goods building
built of stone and brick. Smoke pene-
trated this building and the building it.
self caught fire, water was turned on,
the upper floors were flooded, the water
soaked clean Through to tho basement
and the loss will be tremendous. A. u.
Pettia owned the Eastman, SchloiIhier
and Lee building, five stories of brick and
stone, and the Coudet block is owned by
T., T.. ClaypooI The losses and insurancns
cannot be obtained accurately yet East
man, Schlcighter and Lees loes alore
will be at least $4,000. Their stock Of
furniture and china was one OF the .Arg
est in tho country. The building WAS
completely destroyed. The lire IN the
Western Union building was under con
trol about 9;3O q. nj. The Instruments
were destroyed and the battery floor was
burned out The entire building was
water soaked. The Eastman, }5choighter
a Leo block and tho Indiana National
bank building, owned by Volney Z. Mai
lalt, will have to be pulled down. The
law Office Of A. G. Harris, over the bank
ing rooms, contained \ library valued at
$1,000, which was totally destroyed as
was everything else in the building The
postal telegraph building in tho rear Of
tho Blackford block WAS slightly Gam.
aged by fro and water, but the company
lost no wires.