Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1898-03-25

off and held stretched by stalwart arms
beneath the windows of the doomed
building. Several leaped for the can
vas and seven, at least, were saved by
its means.
One man did not wait, but swung
himself out of window and made his
way by sill, sign and cornice to win
dow of the building north. Another,
less agile, attempted to follow and slip
ping fell three stories to the pavement.
A number of people made their escape
by means of the fire escapes in the rear
of the building.
There was not a chance for the fire.
sponded to the alarm, the flames were
quicker. From top to bottom the build
ing was filled with combustible ma
terial-varnishes and wall paper,
pianos, organs and other musical in
struments were stored on every floor,
and upon these the fire seized with
irresistible avidity.
The streams of water that were
poured in upon the fire from every di-
rection seemed only 10 increase it's
fury, and it was not until the front
Of the building and the north wall had
fallen in that there even seemed a
chance Of preventing the spread of the
flames.
The firemen as they dragged their
hose forward encountered a heat that
blistered their faces and lands and
singed their hair-a heat that was ter
rible even to them, and before which
the plate glass in the windows oppo-
site cracked and fell in jingling frag-
ments, and the paint on the woodwork
shriveled, smoked. and, at the touch Of
the flame that from time to time was
blown against it, itself burst into
flame.
At 100 o'clock the fire was under
control, but at intervals all through the
afternoon smoke filled the street so
densely that the surface cars had to
stop to avoid running down the fire.
men, and the crowds disbanded tempo
rarily to get breath of air. All night
the firemen continued to play up the
ruins, and it is believed that search
for the dead will be possible today.
1t was a. m. Thursday before
the flames smoldering in the heap of
Goals, charred timbers and twisted iron
were sufficiently subdued to permit of
any search. At the foot of the elevator
Of the building at 215 Wabash avenue.
from which nearly all the missing have
been reported, it is thought that these
will be found, and there is hardly a
chance that it will be possible to ident-
ify them by the usual means. Near
the elevator a stairway ran from the
seventh floor, occupied by w. A. Dim
stead's concern, to the ground floor.
In the mad rush from the flames, the
smoke and the awful confusion, mad
with fear from the explosions which
shook the building and sent bricks,
plaster and boards flying, it is believed
that many gave up their lives.
A great lot of rubbish typewriters,
old ledgers, wrecked desks, and in
Office fixtures was piled high
around the cage which had once been
the elevator shaft. At this point the
ScdICu was UeSuH anu the DOuy sup
posed to be Mrs. Harris found. Her
clothing was entirely burned off, her
legs to the knees scorched and black
ened. and her left hand gone. Her
shriveled form was wedged between |
two heavy timbers, and it was with |
difficulty removed
An examination of the ruins next /
morning called out severe condemna-
ton from the fire officials as to the con-
struction of the building. 1t was a
veritable fire-trap, according to Mar
shall Koran. Ii was supposed to be |
The smOldering piles show
it was largely built of fiimsy timbers.
The ventilator shaft through the
center made huge chimney. When
the large amount of combustible ma
terial is taken into consideration, the
firemen say it is no wonder the build
ing went up like flash.
Five of those who were reported as
missing Thursday morning have APP
peared, uninjured. They are: j. L.
Thorburn, 44i2 Evans avenue collector
for the Conover Piano company; Solo
mon Grollman, Sr.; his son, Solomon
Grollman, Jr., western agent for Henry
Holtmann; Frank w. Teeple, Chicago