The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-05

ner of Broadway, numbering 259 and 261.
The wood work on a dozen windows was
ahre in moment, and from that time on
several streams were playing on this build
ing to save it from destruction.
When the Warren-street wall Of the
Rogers, Peet & Co. building fell at 1O:30
o'clock a dozen fremen were directly be-
Meath Several of the men were struck by
bricks, but none was more than slightly in
jured. Acting Chief Perle FELL but was
dragged to safety by some Of his men.
FIREMEN HANDICAPPED.
Just before II o'clock the Home Life In
surance Company building, sixteen stories
high, at Nos 255 and 257 Broadway, caught
fire. The firemen already had their lines in
this building up to the seventh floor. They
were greatly handicapped by the many sto-
ries. The flames had eaten their way
through the wall in many places and the
huge white structure was burning fiercely.
The elevators made trips up and down until
the men running the cages were compelled
to flee for their lives. In this way many of
the effects of the offices were saved. The
three top floors were on fire almost stimuli
taneously from the beginning. The smoke
was dense. Flames shot high above the roof
and over the massive brown stone Postal
building on the corner below. All the OPP
orators of the Postal building and everybody
at work in the structure had been ordered
out Of this building long before. Desperate
efforts were being made to save it.
The interior of the Home Life Insurance
building was by this time furnace. From
the windows of the six or eight upper sto-
ries the flames were pouring in masses In
the rear nine stories We're afire, and the fire
department, so far as this portion of the
building was concerned, was absolutely
powerless
At 11:15 the Postal building Of fourteen
stories caught fire. Chief Bonner, who had
charge Of the firemen took the elevator and
went to the roof to give personal directions.
At this time there were a few operators
who had ignored the orders of the fire chief
two or three clerks and a few boys at work
in the building in the sitting smoke, and
messages were sent until the flames came
and all were forced TO rush for their lives.
The unsent messages were left at the tel
egraph keys.
Chief Bonner had under his direction all
the engines stationed in the fire houses be-
low Twenty-third street In addition, five
hook and ladder companies. including water
towers, We're at the scene. Most of the men
worked IN the lower parts OF the Duldlng
to save adjoining buildings. Only 6. few
gangs were with the fire chief on the top Of
the Postal building. They fought with all
their strength to keep the flames back. But
Notwithstanding all their efforts, at 1 o'clock
this (Monday) morning three floors of the
building had been partially destroyed. The
fire was then working its way downward.
Chdef Bonner thought, however that he had
it under control. He did not expect it to
get much below this.
The fire started from three explosions
What caused the explosions no one knows
The firemen could not find out. They
thought gas had escaped in some manner
in the basement and so resulted in explosion
and fire., The Postal Telegraph Company
officials said that all their wires had been
burned out and that they had no connec-
tions from their building