The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-27
HEAVY LOSSES AT CHICAGO
MONROE-STREET BLOCK AND A
LARGE ELEVATOR DESTROYED.
Eight Firemen and Ten Spectators
Seriously Injured-FataI Fires i'm
other Towns and Cities.

at $50 o'clock this morning. a few hours
later one of the most valuable blocks of
real estate in the city had been consumed
in raging flames. 1t was the block bounded
by Market, Thirteenth. Filbert and Juniper
streets, in the very heart of the city.
few steps to the right looms the massive
City Hall, around the corner stands the
Pennsylvania Railroad terminal, and di-
rectly across the way John Wanamaker's
great store stretches frcm street to street.
So fierce was the flame and so strong the
wind which aided its destructive work that
even this building, distant the width of
Market street. was saved almost by q mir
acle from destruction, and Mr.. Wanamaker
tonight places his loss a 900. The total
loss is variously estimated at from 81 1000
to s., 800. 600. but in the chaos and confusion
now existing it is all but impossible to Sc
cure accurate figures. The losses are very
generally covered by insurance.
The fire originated i'm the basement of the
six-story building extending from No. 1909
to 1917 Market street occupied in the lower
floors by Hanscom Brothers, grocers, and
above by the umbrella factory of Hirsh
Brothers. The smoke was discovered by
policeman, who promptly turned in an
alarm, but the fire made such headway that
before the engines could be put to work the
building mass of flames. With un-
controllable rapidity ii then spread In all
directions. destroying about thirty build
ings before il had been finally controlled.
The fire reached the big tower of Wanna
makers store about an hour after il start
ed and the energies of the department were
then concentrated on saving that building.
The tower was destroyed. together with the
valuable clocks and chimes; the roof all
along the Market-street front was badly
damaged and a great deal of the stock in
the front of the store suffered from smoke
and water. The buildings wholly or par
TALLY destroyed and the estimated losses
are:
Market Street-Nos 1S0l-03 Potter & Co,
photographers; John lillian, druggist. $50
900; No. 1905, G. X. Sterner, cigars. s2I 600;
No. 1897 II. I. Roberts * Co; photograph
ers 1900: Nos. 1309-1T, Hirsh Bros. UNI
bennett. restaurant. $780, 900; No. 1919, Blum
Bros, cloaks and suits. 10000; No; 1921 a.
Wells, hats. $685. coo; No. 1925 John Dickson,
heaters, $4,000; No 1897, Shovel & Freyer,
grocers. $4,000; Henry G.. Gibson estate,
building $400. 600. \ number of small three
story structures on Thirteenth street. up TO
Filbert assessed in all at about $l50,OOO, and
four buildings on Filbert street. about $75,-
OO0 including the siX-story printing house
of Dunlap * Clark. valued at Sl50. .O0O
Wanamaker's loss on stock will reach $25.-
men were injured. but none seriously, and
one man dropped dead of excitement.
CARPET STORE DAMAGED.
Besides the big fire, there were two 9TH
ers The first was at $3.50 a m. 1t was in
the fifth story of the building occupied by
o. s. Bunnell, wholesale stationery, at No.
SO Chestnut and was soon put out, the loss
being only $4,000. About o'clock a. m.
the fire department was called to the big
carpet store of John and James Dobson,
Nos. sos, S10 and So Chestnut street. BY
hard work the flames were confined to the
sixth story, but the water soaked through
every floor TO the basement. The store was
filled with expensive carpets rugs and up
holstery. and the loss caused by water and
smoke exceeded 100000.
II was while almost the entire fire de-
partment was fighting the flames at the
Dobson store that an alarm was sounded
from Thirteenth and Chestnut streets.
Everybody in Philadelphia who hears an
alarm from this locality insUnctively cries
"Wanamaker'sw The great store covers the
entire block, bounded by Chestnut, Market
Thirteenth and Juniper streets, and as the
building constructed years ago many
of the fireproof features of modern struc-
lures are lacking. The firemen soon found
however, that the flames had attacked the
block opposite Wanamakers on the south,
separated from the big store by Market
streets width of 120 feet. When it was ap-
parent that the block originally attacked
was doomed squads of fremen. with long
lines of hose were detailed TO try and save
Wanamaker's. This structure, with the
goods piled up within its four walls, repre-
sented a money value of over SO 600. .000.
Despite the efforts of the city firemen. re-
inforced by Wanamakers fire brigade. the
high wind prevailing forced the flames
across Market street after they had been
| fought off for an hour and a half. The
| fire first caught in the high tower on the
Market street corner This supported q
tig clock and chimes, which rang out
| every half hour. Little patches of flame
| made their appearance along the edge of
| the roof OF the main structure. and the
excitement among the firemen was intense
| beyond control there was no telling where
| the fire would stop. There was deep sigh
| of relief therefore when the announcement
| was made that beyond the destruction OF
| the tower the scorching of paint and wood
| work on Market street and the cracking OF
| the big plate-glaSs windows the fire Would
| not further damage Wanauaker's Smoke
penetrated almost every portion of the
! store and the damage to delicate dry goods
from this cause will be heavy. Had the
| flames enveloped Wanamakers, nothing
| could possibly have prevented the destruc-
| tion of scores OF big buildings on Chestnut
street which Is narrow and closely built
| Mr.. Wanamaker was early on the scene
! Al the present time he employs 4. POO people
/ and as many of the men in tins army OF
employees as would be of use i'm fighting
the flames were admitted TO the store The
/ admirable PRECAUTIONS that the inflamma-
| BILE nature of the structure had made neces-
/ sary rendered the work of the trained fire
| brigade easy and at the same time effec-
tive. Mr.. Wanamaker said during the fire.
The fire is confined TO the Market-street
end of my store, and three hours after the
/ flremen are out of the place, seven-eighths
of the store will be ready for
| business" Mr.. Wanamaker was an
| parently the least concerned mar
| III the great crowd, as he quietly made
| his way from one part of the establishment
| To another. directing the movements of hi,
| employees. Mr. Wanamaker does his own
insuring and his loss is therefore covered
/ in this way.
| THE GREAT FIRE
The fire that threatened Wanamaker's es
| tablishment and which caused the greates
| loss this city has suffered in recent year.
/ broke out in the rear of the basement of The
| big grocery store of Hanscom Bros, No
| 1877 Market street The flames were frs
discovered by John Wagner. a reserve DO
| liceman. who was i'm the Hanseom building
| 1T $50 O'Clock. He Immediately turned In