The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-26
WAREHOUSES BURNED
Heavy Loss to the National To.
49, - bacco Company.
CoNFLAGRATION AT LOUISVILLE.

One Thousand Four Hundred Men, wom-
en- and Children Were at Work When
the Flames Broke Out-All Escaped
Alive but Two Men Will Probably Die OF
Injuries Received-spread Of tiis Flames
To BE Rebuilt at Once.
Louisville, KY, Feb. 26.-Picking. dry
ing and steaming warehouses OF the
National Tobacco company, situated at
Twenty-fourth and Main streets. were
totally destroyed by fire. The loss Will
amount to $1.OOO,O0O. fully covered by
insurance. Three men were hemmed
in by the flames and all were more or
less injured before they could make
their egress from the burning plant.
The injured are: George Tisshenderf.
foreman of the picking department.
back injured and severe injuries about
the head and chest; William Semple.
picker, skull fractured; John Packham.
both legs broken and internally injured
Semple and Packham will probably die
Mr.. w. b. Duke of New York, presi-
dent OF the American Tobacco COM
pany, of which the National Tobacco
company of Louisville is a branch. Is
in the city and witnessed the destruc-
ticn of his property. He said that 1t
would at once be rebuilt.
Discovery of the Fire.
The fire was discovered at o'clock
on the second floor of the building used
for drying purposes. Three alarms
called the entire department TO the
scene, and although the firemen worked
heroically they could do little less than
save the property adjoining. as the
three big buildings which occupied
nearly the entire square between
Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth and
Main and Market streets were seen to
be inevitably doomed. From the three
story drying building the flames spread
rapidly west TO the four-story ware
house and east to the three-story
steaming house. In the building which
first caught 200 hands, mostly womer
and children, were employed. but the
majority of these escaped safely. only
| a few being injured, as did 200 who were
| at work in the steaming building. IL
| the four-story warehouse LOCO mel
| were at work, but they had plenty o
| time to escape~~--
Made Rapid HeadWny.
! The flames gained rapid headway an
( the fire department was hindered to
great degree by a Lack OF water. sew
en- engines being at one time useless
( Falling walls added TO the danger O
! the work, and the escape of some OF tn
firemen was all but miraculous. Whe
| the alarm of fire was sounded In TN
picking department the employees OF thi
building began TO make their escape !
an orderly manner, but George Tisshen
derf. foreman of two of the floors, an
| John Packham and William Semple re
! mained too long In the building, an
were forced to jump for their lives
! Packham and Semple sustained injurie
! which will probably result in thei
! death.
Fourteen hundred men, women an
children are thrown out of employment
The origin Of the fire is unknown. In
night watchman said he left the build
Ling to GO home at o'clock and ths
everything was all right then. The fore
of employees go to work at $3.50 o'cloc
and It was not until after they had bee
at work an hour and a half that tn
! fire was discovered.