The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-24
LARGE FIRE IN CLEVELAND
PROPERTF IN THE HEART OF THE
oITF WORTH sI,sOo,OO0 BURNED.

PROPERTR IN THE HEART OF THE
oITF WORTH sI,e0O,OOo BURNED.
Tho Power. Blackstone, ana Wiltshire Bald
inEs Burned-A Woman KILLED. = Fireman
nsiursa NortnIiy. and Three other Persens
pIissinE-A Gale Made Eiro FiEhtius Dimcuit
-Binse Started In y LithoEraphinG shoP-A
Match was Dreppea Into sone Turpentine.
CLEVELAND. O., Doc. 23.-The most disastrous
fire that has occurred here In many years seri-
ously threatened the business district west Of
tho public square to1niGhtx
-he wn0 Was Yf~0~1h9a when tho
ire started. and 30 famed the flames
as to render the attempts to stop Thorn
practically useless. The high wind at IL
o'clock was blowing In undiminished strength.
At that time the loss was estimated
by the Police Department at nearly 81, 800, 600.
A closer estimate made by THE SUN correspond
emit places the loss at 81. 200, 900.
At that time 1t appeared as II the fire had
reached its limits, although 1t was raging
fiercely. Tho buildings burned are the Power
building, the Blackstone and the Wiltshire, all
among the most substantial and ornate In tho
city. All three are owned by Jacob b. Perkins,
who recently sold the Walker Manufacturing
Company to an English syndicate for about
pz,oOO,VOU. ono Oh inc neaVIebJ lOSerB ID
the J. L. Hudson Company. which ooou-
pied the street floor OF the Wiltshire
building as a clothing store having q stock de-
clared by the local manager to be worth $780,
600. The three buildings arc all Of compare
lively recent construction and are valued:
Wiltshire, $500 600; Blackstone. R225. 600;
Power, $4,000.
While fighting the flames Lieut.. McFeeters of
fire engine company No. / fell down an elevator
shaft In the Power building four stories and had
his head crushed in.
He was still breathing when picked up. but
cannot survive. An unidentified woman spec
tator was struck on the head by falling debris
and killed. The Johns Company's fore
man reports that three Of the COM
pany's employees have not been accounted
for and. owing to the rapidity with which the
flames spread. he says that they did not have
time to escape. As soon as possible a search
will be made for them.
It was exactly 5:23 o'clock this evening when
the fire started in the fifth floor of the Power
block at SO to IA Frankfort street.
The fire was caused by a match being dropped
into an open receptacle filled with turpen:lne
in the extensive lithographing establishment of
Johns & Go.
In an instant the entire floor was ablaze, and
although a still alarm was Immediately sent in,
tho entire structure was ablaze before the Fire
Department arrived.
The flames spread rapidly. entirely destroying
the Power block. which was one OF the finest
buildings in the city, burning out the whole
interior of the Wiltshire building, and destroy.
ing the west half of the Blackstone building.
The Wiltshire was one of the handsomest build
ings in the city. The upper Eve floors of the
Wiltshire building were occupied as offices by
lawyers and real estate men and large manufao-
turing concerns.
The Blackstone was filed with law offices
and contained some of tho most valuable law
libraries in the State. 1t also contained the
library Of American historical works Of Col.
John o. Winship. the finest in Cleveland. The
street floors were occupied as salesrooms.
Whom the fire started the occupants Of the
block had nearly all gone for the day. and it was
several moments before the fire was discovered.
An alarm was sent In and all the downtown fire
companies responded.
In a short time the two upper stories were
blazing iercely. All the downtown streets were
lined with fire engines. The fremen battled
bravely with the flames.
At 5:45 o'clock the fire communicated to the
Blackstone building, corner Seneca and Frank
fort streets. The Blackstone joins the Power
block.
The Wiltshire building, which is occupied by
the ]. L. Hudson Clothing Company, faces on
Superior street. The rear OF the block stands
within a few feet of the burning Power and
Blackstone buildings.
At $3.50 the fire had not abatod. The entire
block bounded by Superior, Seneca. Frank
fort, and Bank streets WAS threatened with
destruction.
The wind suddenly shifted and made the peril
imminent TO tho remote corner OF tho square
containing the Mercantile Bank building.
Shortly before this the floors of the Power block
fell with a crash.
Shortly before 6 o'clock the fire commune
Gated to The Rouse and Miller block. that is sep.
arated only by an alley from the Power block:
Fully 10000 people were on the scene. The
crowds from beneath the buildings. All the pc.
licemen in the city was rushed to the scene az
fast IA the police officials could locate them.
Two cab horses ran away, down Superior
a score of persons were knocked down, trampled
on, and run over. Three were carried to the
hospital seriously injured.
The estimates of losses follow Wiltshire
P"nys ss5 s.SStS0G Iew ses s. block n %7lots5. $3.50 lS@.
900; Blackstone building, $4,000; Johns
lithographing establishment, $500 900; VIM
& Judson. printers, bookbinders. &c.
XXX Snd 1000 200; ot,ce contents s ! 400. e ! Jay Corr. ohiGe
printers. $4,000 Diebolt Safe Company. S25,'
900; LAM & Phelps. wholesale tobacconists,
$4,000; smaller concerns, 800. 900.
Rider. the leading photographer In the city.
was entirely burned out. The burned struc.
lures were insured for less than one'third OF
Capt. Hanks of Engine Company No. 81 was
fatally injured by falling walls. Fireman Hen.
berger Of Hose Company No. was knocked of
q ladder by falling bricks and was badly injured.