The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-10-29
CARELESS CLERK
Drops Lighted Cigarette and Causes
Fire In ST. Louis-The Wabash Building,
Coruer 9TH and Chestnut Streets, Quilted.

Corner 9TH and Chestnut Streets, Quilted.
st. LOUIS, Oct. 2S.-A lighted cigar
cite dropped by thoughtless clerk is
supposed to have caused the fire which
Wednesday afternoon practically gut
ted the white stone building at the
corner of Seventh and Chestnut streets
occupied by the general offices of the
Wabash railroad.
At 1:25 o'clock just after the clerks
had returned from their monday re-
cess and were beginning work police
man standing on the corner below no.
ticed small tongue of flame shoot out
from a window in the fifth story of the
building, which was used as a storage
attic. Instantly puff of dense black
smoke followed and the officer rushed
into the building shouting the alarm.
Instantly there was a confused rush
for every means of exit.
The attic was stored with old papers
and documents and within five min
utes was a roaring furnace. The
whole floor seemed to suddenly burst
into flame in every part. During all
this excitement seven young women
employed in one of the inner mailing
rooms on the fourth floor had not been
notified and were still working uncon-
scious of their peril. When they did
discover their situation, they found to
their horror that it was impossible to
reach the stairs as the stairway was
burning fiercely. They appeared at
the windows and cry of horror went
up from the streets.
1.-THE fire escape" shouted the crowd,
and the young women, comprehending,
disappeared and moment later climb
ed out on the iron platform of the es-
cape They hesitated, but the advanc-
ing flames gave them determination
and they started on their descent,
reaching the, street in safety as
laundering cheer went up.
With the first alarm the real estate
agents who occupied the lower floor
began removing their books and pa
pers. Everything that could be gotten
ont was taken across the street to the
massive new Wainwright building Fire
Chief Swingley sent in general alarm,
but owing to the narrow street and the
network of wires it required Is min
utes to hoist and train the stand pipes.
BY this time the two top floors of
the building were doomed and it was
apparent that the fire had gained such
Roadway that the entire building must
go. An order was given to cut the
electric wires Dense throngs blocked
every thOroughfare. Without warning
the wires were clipped and in an in
slant the throngs were madly falling
back as flashes of blue and yellow
lightning sputtered from the ends of
the deadly wires that came falling to
the ground. Nobody was injured. but
a wire struck fire horse, killing it in
it's tracks.
At 1:5O o'clock the roof fell with a
crash sending burning embers into the
air which fell on adjoining buildings
and started fires, but prompt measures
prevented farther CONGREGATIONS.
A. R. Field, clerk, was carrying
some books from the first floor when
the crash came. Flying debris struck
him on the head, tearing it open down
to the end of the nose. He was quickly
removed in an ambulance and his in
juries may result fatally.
Nothing was left of the two top
floors but the broken walls, while the
three lower floors suffered damage
from water and falling debris. The
fire came SO suddenly that the Wabash
company was prevented from saving
anything. Every record in the office
of the chief engineer, rights of way,
real estate deeds and surveys of every
description were destroyed. An officer
of the company estimates their loss at
$500, 900. Real estate men place the
valuation of the building at $780, 900.