Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-10
MILLION 0LLARFIRE
GREAT COLD-STORAGE PLANT IN
PITTsBURG DESTROYED.
4 TERRIBLY FATAL EXPLOSION.
Wall Falls on n Number of People
Six Men Taken Out Dead-Others
Many Persons Injured.

PITTSBURG PA, February "a fire
of mysterious origin was discovered at
about o'clock this evening in the large
J six-story cold-storage plant of the Chau-
tauqua Lake Ice Company, and at this
hour Q1 p NJ it looks as though the
entire building would be destroyed, to-
| gether with about a million dollars
worth Of merchandise of all kinds stored
within it.
The building occupies the block from
Twelfth TO Thirteenth street between
Pike street and Mulberry alley. 1t is
six-story brick, with three heavy fire.
walls. making in reality four buildings.
The ice company has its ice-making plant
and storage warehouses on the lower
floors, and the Union Storage Company
occupies the balance of the building, with
merchandise of all descriptions, the pro-
perty of innumerable merchants and
householders in the city.
one of the compartments is used as a
government bonded warehouse, and con-
tains about 400 barrels Of whiskey and
alcohol.
The windows of the block are protect
Il by heavy iron shutters. which cannot
be opened and for this reason the fire
men are unable TO get at the fire pro-
perry. The loss cannot as yet be estab-
lished but at the lowest estimate 100000
worth Of property has already been con-
sumed. The buildings and contents are
well insured
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
At 115O an explosion of whiskey oc-
Cured which blew out the Mulberry
alley wall, with terrible results. At the
time the alley was filled with firemen,
policemen, newspaper men, and others.
Many were caught by the falling wall
Rumor has it that at least twenty-five or
thirty men are still under the debris
Three dead have been taken out, among
them POlice-Captain Berry. The other
two are at the morgue, unrecognized as
yet
Many people were injured by flying
bricks or beams, and all the ambulances
and patrol-wagons Of the city are in con-
slant service. Some of the injured are:
Charles Simon, a travelling salesman |
from Cincinnati; badly cut on head.
William Fleming, squeezed by falling |
rafter may die.
Daniel Maloney. carried through to the |
cellar, but dug his way out; hurt inter-
nally.
Charles Wilson, bridge-bulder; badly |
cut, and hurt internally.
William Desmuke a puddler: head and
shoulders badly cut
Mary Desmuke, his wife; hurt inter-
nally.
Davis Stewart, badly cut on head.
captain j. Brown, building inspector;
both legs broken.
ANOTHER FATALITY.
The telegraph. telephone, and electric
light poles at the corner Of Thirteenth
and Penn streets fell shortly after the
explosion, and killed an unknown man.
SIX DEAD.
All ~ o'clock there are six dead al the
morgue, only two of whom have been
identified. They are:
Polce-Leutenant BERRY, who was
acting captain, and WILLIAM SCOTT,
Jr., aged 20, son Of William Scott, pres-
dent OF the Chautauqua Ice Company.
His brother John, aged is, is missing. and
supposed to be buried under the ruins.
The following is the best list of losses
obtainable tonight: Hoveler Storage
Company, building and contents. seO0.0OO;
Chautauqua Ice Company, $4,000; Union
Storage Company s,0O0OO0; small Penn
avenue houses, $4,000; making a total Of
$l.I75oo0, ali of which was well insured
Some Of the heaviest individual losers
who had consicnments in the ware
houses are the Economy Distillng Com
pany, 5000 barrels Of Whiskev worth
$4,000; Monongahela Textile COMPANY.
wool dealers. $4,000 pounds Of wool: Col
Inns Cigar Company. % carloads OF to-
bacco; W. II. Williams commission mer-
chant, 20 carloads of sugar.