The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-03
JAGGED WALLS
Are All That Remain of Two of
the Largest
Business Blocks of P fttsburg,
Penn.
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
$3,OOO,OOO Worth of Property
is Burned Up.
Two Firemen Killed and Four
Other Persons Injured.

Pittsburg, May 3.-The most disas-
trous fire that has visited Pittsburg
since the great fire of 1S45, excepting
during the riots of 1877, destroyed S3.-
900 worth of merchandise and prop
erty last night and probably resulted in
two deaths and the injury of four 9TH
erS.
Not only is the figure enormous, but
1t involves the complete destruction OF
two of the greatest mercantile houses
of Pittsburg.
The great wholesale grocery estab-
Hshment of Thomas c. Jenkins and the
mammoth retail store of Joseph Horne
& Co are total ruins. There remains OF
the first only Jagged patches of walls,
here and there towering into blackened
plnnacles, and of the latter there stands
only the great naked framework, built
of structural iron, which would not
tall, but stripped of walls and floors
and feStOOned only with the dragging
Shreds of bIackened strips of timber,
crinkled pieces of sheet iron and twist
ed rods and wires. They are mOurnful
monuments of wealth and cOmemrciaI
enterprise. The burned section extends
from Fifth street to Cecil alley on Penn
sylvania avenue and from Cecil alley
to Fifth avenue on Liberty street COW
ering an area of several acres. The
names of the killed, missing and injured
are;
GEORGE ATKINSON, No. Is engine
company.
Missing:
GEORGE THOMAS. No. Is engine
company
Injuredi
Elmer Croke, No. engine company.
struck on the head by falling bricks.
Michael Daley, No. engine compa-
ny, cut and bruised and arm broken by
falling arc lamp.
Robert Badger, No. 4 engine cOmpa-
ny, ankle broken.
George Neekin, No 7 engine compa-
ny, struck by falling bricks and bruised
and cut.
A number of other firen.en are miss
ing and are supposed to be buried un-
der the walls at Liberty avenue and Ce-
Gil alley.
The sufferers by the fire and their
estimated losses are:
T Q. Jenkins, wholesale grocery, to-
tally destroyed; stock valued at $780,
900; insurance, $15O,0OO; building valued
at 100000; insurance about $4,000.
Joseph Horne & Co, retail dry goods,
totally destroyed; stock and building
valued at 1600, 600; fully insured.
Horne Office building, totally destroy
ed; valued at 500, 900; insurance, $780,
0OO
Methodist book concern building. val
ued at $125,OOO; badly dana ged; loss
about $50, 900; insured.
Phipps building, valued at 100000;
slightly damaged; loss about $1,000; in
sUred.
s. Huck Tobacco company. Liberty
street, destroyed loss estimated at So
600; partly insured.
]. Hall, Jr., & Co, Liberty street,
wholesale groceries, destroyed; loss es-
timated at 10000; insured
ScObie e. Parker farming implements,
partly damaged loss estimated a $3,
600; insured.
Hall Bros, building occupied by Hall
Bros, wholesale liquor American Press
association, T. c McElrOy, pictures and
mirrors, slightly dana ged; loss $1,000;
insured
Diamond National bank bunding.cor-
ner Fifth avenue and Liberty, scOrch-
ed; loss $1,000; insured.
Oakdale Manufac cturing company,
Liberty street windows damaged by
water; loss $1,000; insured.
Harmony Creamery company, Liberty
street, slightly damaged; loss $1,000; in
sured.
]. ". Scott, agricultural implements.
totally destroyed; loss about $4,000;
Four three story dwelling houses on
Pennsylvania avenue, occupied by Han
& Gels, hair dressers, Dr. Sykes, DR..
Manchester and Michael BlOndin. The
houses were wholly or partially destroy
ed; loss $40, 600.
Seven freight cars loaded with meat
belonging to Swift & Co of Chicago,
standing on Liberty street; loss 81, 900.
The Duquesne theater and the Sur
prise Clothing cOmpany's immense store
was on fire several times, but were
saved with small loss
A number of other neighbOring busi-
ness houses and tenants in the various
buildings suffered greater or less indi-
vidual losses, the aggregate of which it
is impossible to give at present.
The fire broke out, no one knows how,
about midnight in the wholesale gro
Gerry building of T. G. jenkins & Co.
and burned with great fury until 4
o'clock this morning, before it was final
ly controlled The insurance has not
yet been figured up, but it must surely
exceed 81, 500, 900.