The herald., 1897-12-20
Makes Old Metal of St.
Louis JeweIry
THE MERM0D & JAcCARD co.
HAD JUST STOCKED UP FOR
'rCHRIsTMAS
,rne Damage Exceeds Half Million
Dollars, But the Insurance Is
Heavy-Other Blaze"
Associated Press spec,al wire.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Dec. ia fire start
cd in the basement of the building oc-
cupied by the Mermod & Jaccard Jew
elry company, at the corner of Locust
and Broadway, early this morning, and
in an almost Incredibly short time the
five-story building was completely gut
ted. The total loss will reach S33o,O00
fully covered by insurance.
The fire had been burning some time
before it was discovered at 4:4O O'clock,
and at o'clock the south wall and all
the floors began falling, making 1t one of
the flercest fires in the annals of the city
Next to the boiler room in the basement
was a room used for packing. 1t is
thought the fire started in the boiler
room, communicated to the packing
room, and, shooting up the elevator
shaft, quickly spread over the building.
w A. Rutledge, the engineer, and his
family lived on the fourth floor. They
barely escaped with their lives. The
firemen dragged them unconscious from
their beds and carried them down the
fire escape. Five minutes later the floors
It'll. Sever III OthOi tGiAht' IA eiiN SNAAN
ing had narrow escapes.
The Mermod g. Jaccard Jewelry COM
pany was one OF the largest in the world,
and, being Christmas season. carried an
immense stock One-half Of the stock
had been placed In the two large vaults
and was saved, but the rest, as well as
the building and its fixtures, was totally
destroyed.
,r.1. g. rd
cupied but two floors and the basement
of the structure. On the fifth floor was
the repair shop. A large amount Of the
repair work had been finished, and most
of it was saved by the salvage corps.
The corps also saved dozen or more
grandfather clocks ranging in value
from $500 to $500 each, and many old
Vienna vases and valuable pieces of pot
terry. The silverware, melted by the
heat, will be found under the debris Of
fallen timber. On the first floor, left out
of the valuts, were clocks, silverware,
china, art pottery, cut glassware and
other articles, all of which will be a total
loss. There were over forty tenants in
the building, whose losses range from
$500 to $4,000, partially insured.
The Model Cloak company, in the
uOll llNc0Gl COl Ol tllt pbiiNiilo' was
wiped out, sustaining loss Of $4,000, on
which there was an insurance Of three
fourths.
The firm carried insurance amounting
to 100000, which, if the stock in the
vaults Is found intact, viii amply cover
the loss sustained.
The building was owned by the estate
Of the late Luther NJ. Kennett, but was
To he Too ri
company The firm estimates the value
of the building at s125,000, upon which
there was all insurance Of S105,000.
Late tonight the burned-out firm de-
cided to continue business, and tomorrow
will take possession of the store and
stock of another leading jeweler of this
city, which they have bought. The firm
that goes out Of business is that of A.
Lutzborn G Sans.
AT GRAND FORKS
GRAND FORKS, n. D., Dec. 19-The
business portion of the city was threat
ened by another fire tonight, which
might have been more destructive than
that Of Friday. when the Hotel Dacotah,
the Mercantile company and Nash
Bros builings were burned.
Shortly after o'clock smoke was seen
coming from the nrSt floor OF the big de-
partment store Of Benner & Begg, and
In less than fifteen minutes the building
was in flames and the fire had spread to
Stanchfield's clothing house and the II.
A. Stone jewelry store in buildings ad-
adjoining.
After three hours work the fire was
subdued The damage to the building
$4,000. Losses to other firms will be
and stock of Benner & Begg will be
small.
THE OIL STOVE
NEW YORK, Dec. 19.-While Mrs
Margaret Spencer was cooking with an
oil stove tonight, her pet dog upset the
stove. An explosion followed and the
woman was SO badly burned that she
died.