Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-02-10
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE ss~
VISITS ST. LOUIS
Four Blocks Of Buildings and Con-
tents Burned With Loss Of
$l,50O,OO0.
ONE OF The FIREMEN IS KILLED
Nine Others Are Injured More or
Less Seriously and Five or
Six Citizens Are Slight.
ly Hurt.

St. Louis, Feb. Ga fire which orig
uated in Penny e. Gentle's dry goods
store at 1855 o'clock yesterday morn
ing, destroyed property estimated at
blocks of buildings and their con-
Sl,jOO,OOO, the greater part of four
blocks of building and their con-
tents, between Third and Sixth
streets and Franklin avenue and Nor
gan street, in the heart of the retail
section, being consumed.
One fireman was killed, nine Others
of the fire department were injured
more or less seriously, and five or six
citizens slightly hust, None Of the in'
jured will die as far as known today
The dead!
CHARLES MAPPES.
Injured
John Karp, probably fatally.
George W. Durand right hip in-
iured.
John Haramour, dislocated spine
and both legs broken.
j. A. Adams. lacerated hand, causing
partial paralysis.
Mike Harmon, injured in back.
John Judge.
Joseph Schwalger, badly injured.
Harry Bridge
August Roeber, leg broken.
Chief Swingley, blistered by heat;
Assistant Chief Gus Thierry,
shocked and burned by electric
| wires.
A. j. O'Reilly, supervisor city light
ing, bruised
George w. Durand, spectator, hip
dislocated.
Flames Rapidly Spread.
On the discovery of the fire general
alarm was turned in, and soon every
engine In the city was nt the scene
Famed by a strong northwest wind,
the flames rapidly spread southward
TO buildings occupied by the Schapcr
Bros. dry goods store and the Famous
dry goods store. The flames then
lpaped across to the east side OF Broad
way and several buildings on Franklin
street, occupied by the Peoples House
Furnishing company, the Marks mil
linery store, Dill's dental parlors and
Deer Bros and 10-cent store were
DESTROYED. About II o'clock the walls
of these structures began falling ana
four firemen were buried in the ruins.
II was several hours before they could
be taken out. Charles Mappes, pipe
man, was crushed To death, and the
others. who were removed to- a hos
pital, were more or less injured.
From Broadway the flames ale their
way through TO a number of three ana
four-story structures, occupied by n
number of firms in various lines OF
Al.
Heroic efforts were made to keep the
flames from the building on the corner
of Fourth street and Franklin ayent,
occupied by the German American
hank. md they we're successful.
Across on Fourth street and extending
through to Third street were row OF
old buildings, occupied by the SchiS-
ier-Corneia Seed company, the Plant
Seed company, Krennings Glassware
and Crockery company, Nelson Dis
tilling company, BasSett Plumbing
company, Muller-Block Commission
company, McI.ain a. Alcom Commits
sion company, Hake d Sons commits
sion house. Denton & Co.'S commits.
sion house, Bauer Flour company and
William Books saloon.
Confiagration Checked.
Here at o'clock the firemen were
able to stop the spread of the fire t'
the enst. but IL was many hours later
when the flames were queIched.
The interiors and stocks of mer
chandise of these buildings were de
stroyed. -,
In the meantime stores and build
inps on the north side of Franklin ave
| h,1 west
BROADWAY were suffering. but goo,
work by the firemen prevented mucl
loss. The drug store OF Johnson Bros.
at the corner of Franklin and Broad
way. and a saloon on the opposite cor
ner. with some small shops adjoining
were partially destroyed.
The trolley wires along broadway
and Franklin avenue were a source %
langer. and until they were cut OF
the MAYORS orders there were numer
Gus narrow escapes from electrocu
ton.
4 derailed Citizens line car a
Fourth and Morgan streets, which was
being hauled out Of the way OF the
firemen by the power of the cable
crashed into the fire engine and ia
tally crushed Fireman llanmore.
Approximatc Losses, $i,5OO,OOO.
The loss to buildings and stocks OF
goods Is approximately 81 100000 Definite
figures are exceedingly hard To OBTAIN
The estimated heavy losses are Penn!
& Gentles, 1885, 600; Schapner Bros, $lOO,'
600: Mary Is. Knox and Tate buildings
ESSh @ NJ MilreTyr rreMrora aaad cG2k ba
ing, $4,000; the Peoples I House FURNISH
$4,000: Derr Bros, stock, $4,000; building
IS 600 Nearly all are fully insured. Othel
firms and individuals whose losses assrs 8 rt
gate thousands of dollars and are part
| covered by insurance are: The 81
| Louis Dressed Beef and Provision com
pany, Yued g. Prabst, commission mer
chants; A. Strauffer, barber; y. n
Rohder, retati liquor dealer; ilerpotr
Cornelia Seed company, A. Nasse, whole
sale grocer; Plant Seed company, kren
ming Glass company, Bassett s plumDlnt
establishment, McLain & Alcorn Com
mission company, Bueler BLOCK Commls
sion company, Nelson Distilling company
Hake & Sons Commission company, Geo
A. Benton, produce: Bauer tlour com
pany; Shaw & Richmond, produce, ah'
Fred Pohlmans saloon.
Late last night John Cummings, prl
Vate watchman OF Penny az GehtIes' wa!
arrested, and Is being held at the Foul
courts pending an investigation into tn'
origin of the fire. He was taken lntt
custody as result of a statement by
woman rooming on the opposite SIDE o.
the street TO the effect that she had seer
man answering the Waterman de
scription lighting matches In the store
previous to the fire. Cummings denies
having had anything to do with II, ant
states that he was at home when the nrt
broke out