The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-20
ONE MILLION
GOES UP IN SMOKE
Fire in Terre Haute CauS-
es Heavy Damage
NO LIVES WERE LOST.
Most Of the Employees Being Absent
at Their Supper.
A DRUMMER'S HEROIC DEED,
He Dashcs Through the Flames and
Smoke and Rescucs Two Girls
Several Were Badly Hurt by
Jumping from the Burn
ing Building Fire.
men Hurt.

TERRE HAUTE, IND, Dec. 19.-The
worst fire in the history Of Terre Haute
broke out tonight, causing a loss Of
Sl,O0J)0O. The blaze started in the big
show windows Of the Hayens & Geddens
Company, wholesale and retail dealers in
dry goods and notions. The cause is
not definitely known, but it is supposed
that a live electric wire set fire to the
cotton. with which the window was de-
corated. and before the blaze could be
e1tinguished the fire spread to the de-
corations of eyergreens in the store, and
the building was wrappepd in flames in
an incredibly short space Of time.
THE LOSSES.
The following firms are the losers:
Havens & Geddens. $4,000, insurance
about two thirds. Breinig e. Miller,
furniture, $4,000; Pixley ~ Co.. $4,000
Terre Haute Shoe Company $lO'wo, Al
brecht x Co.. retail dry goods, Slw'cJ;
United states Baking Company, $1,000
Thorm0n * Schoss, clothiers, ss0'WO.
4 number of small concerns were ut
terly annihnated in the fall Of the rear
wall OF the Havens & Geddens wholesale
house The fire started 90 3:5o I. NJ
when half the employees Of the establish
ment were at their homes for supper.
no LIVES LOST.
There Is a force of three hundred or
more iu the retail department or the es-
tablishment. and had the entire force
been present the loss of life would nave
been frightful. as it is Kate Maloney, a
clerk I'm the notion department Is lying at
the point of death She sprang from a
window in the second story and sus-
tanned injuries from which she will pro-
badly die Miss Luella Ferguson, a clerk
in the same department, jumped just De-
fore Miss Mal0ncy but was caught by
some men who We're watching for her.
She is internally injured but will re-
cover Louis Kramer. the trimmer who
was i'm the show window when the fire
started is frightfuliy burned about the
head and arms. when rescued from tile
burning building ne was insane from the
pain and begged 10 be killed. Fireman
Austerloutz Walsh and Shea, were badly
injured in the falling debris.
The fire department worked admirably
and there were many narrow escapes
among them. Several OF the tiremen are
IN q precarious condition fro burns and
fro the effects Of thes ting smdoke, but
lt is thought tonight all will recover.
At II O'Clock tonight the fire was still
burning dercely, but the hrement had
IL under control.
IEROIC RESCUE.
4 heroic act Of a man named Peters,
a travelling salesman from Chicago for
the Baldwin Music House, called forth
cheers from the crowd watching the
flames. When the fire first started Peters
was standing I'm the crowd and saw the
AIal0ney and Ferguson girls appear at the
second story window. The girls were
panic-stricken and in mOmentary danger
OF going down with the floors. Peters
sprang through the door with his coat
over his head and. dashing Thorough the
flames and smoke, reached the window
a- which the girls appeared. and after
talking with them. swung out from the
ledge and dropped. His example We
followed by the two girls.