Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-10

cannon, burst through walls in all direc-
tons. Burned-out walls came topping
down, and firemen, polio emen and speota-
tors were rendered almost powerless to act
by the sense of awe and terror which the
scene inspired The old brick houses along
Pennsylvania avenue from 10Th to 18th
street caught from the rear and burned
rapidly Only few streams could be used
on the Pennsylvania avenue fronts of these
houses, and the crowd was slowly driven
off the opposite side of the avenue to
greater distances whole company of fie-
men was throwing a stream into the great
storage house from a narrow court yard
in the rear of Pennsylvania avenue from
which much narrower alley led to the
street.
About 80 am. a particularly heavy ex-
plosion occurred and part of the heavy
wall of the storage house toppled over on
the roofs of the houses and into the court
yard. The firemen at work there escaped
by the narrowest chance.
An Awe-Inspiring Scene.
In the meantime the scene on Pike street
was an even more awe-ins spring one The
instant following the first big explosion the
warehouse of Hoeverler & Co. caught fire
and this was followed by the falling in of
the walls of the building of the Chautau-
qua Lake Ice Company. AS the wall fell,
Chief HUMPHREYS, who was standing near
the entrance to the narrow street. called to
the men OF NO. IL Engine company, VINO
had just time to get away from the spot,
when the lire of hose and pipe was buried
beneath tons of debris Their escape was
miraculous, enc fireman. named Reilly, be-
ing struck by falling brick as he jumped
to obey the shouting warning of the chief.
Through the Hoeverler warehouse the
flames swept like a dust cloud before the
wind The building. though new. was of
ordinary construction and presented all that
was needed in the way of material for
fierce fire. Added to this was the nature of
its contents, 600 barrels of whisky. One
after another of these barrels exploded,
throwing blazing beams and rafters, mass
es of stone and brick into the air and scat
tering the firemen, police and spectators.
From the blazing timbers, which were
hurled in every direction, the fire was COM
municated to the adjoining buildings. Nc
Kallup & Co.'S grain and feed warehouse
on the corner of Pike street caught in the
rear, and despite the efforts of the firemen
the flames worked their way into the center
Of the building and then mounted by the
elevator shaft to the roof, through which
1t was soon pouring.
Many Narrow Escapes.
There were many narrow escapes dur
Ing the fire. The buildings on the corner
of 18th street and Mulberry alley were oc-
cupied by private families, and number
of these we're boarding houses, each con-
tanning from ten to twenty boarders. The
oNSupi~N
by Mrs. Sipes and her four children and
about twenty boarders, was wrecked by
the explosion and the falling walls, but
the family and other occupants of the
building made their escape with only slight
injuries.
Edward Glennon, a pressman, lived in a
house on the corner directly opposite the
Chautauqua Lake Ice Company'S plant,
and when the explosion occurred he was
in the doorway assisting his father to
escape from the building. He was knocked
off the steps to the ground by some flying
bricks and other missiles, but was not
seriously injured.
William Desmal, with a family of six or
seven children: James Pace, with his wife
and three children; James Gallagher, with
his wife and family of three children and
thirteen boarders. and Mr.. Miller and fam
lily, with hoarders, who are bridge build
ers numbering ten in ALL were others who
lived in adjoining houses, but all escaped
to places of safety. some being slightly
Injured. The houses and their contents
were destroyed
The explosions were caused by the burst
ing of large tanks filled with ammonia,
used in the manufacture of ice.
w. c. Burt, q prominent insurance man,
places the total loss at close to S2,O0D,GUo.
Mr.. Burt said that there is not an in
surance company in either Pittsburg or
Allegheny that does not carry policies OH
the property destroyed
The cause of the fire has not yet been
discovered.