The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-02

sibly be loss OF life. about fifteen feet of
the cornice a short distance from where
the ladder rested against the building fell
TO the pavement below, leaving an opening
from which the flames shot forth in
threatening manner. The flames leaped
toward the firemen. The smoke and flames
were so dense that the frernen on top of
the building could not be plainly seen from
the street only when the wind blew the
smoke away temporarily. Then the peril
that the men were in dawned on the crowd.
and Mayor Taggart was seen to rush to the
foot of the aerial ladder. and. looking
toward the top Of the building, he shouted
at the top of his voice for the men to come
down. The firemen near the bottom of the
ladder seemed to be slow I'm replying to the
call from the street for the men to look out
for their own safety and lives and 1t was
not until they gradually worked their way
to the ground that the men on the roof
could begin their descent. The men on the
ladder were covered with ice, which i'm
peded their efforts to get TO the ground.
Many women I'm the crowd turned their
backs on the sight, for IL seemed that every
moment the flames would break out under
the men. cutting off their chances of es-
cape. When all had finally reached the
ground IL was found that the hose could
not be brought down. as the line had
caught at the top of the roof. 1t was neces-
sary that a fireman ascend the ladder 10
the roof. a look at the top of the ladder
was enough to shatter the bravery of any
ordinary man, but Charles Runyon took
the danger into which he was forcing him
self and then began his rapid ascent He
was closely followed by G. +. Williams.
When the two reached the top of the build
ing and loosened the line they were greeted
with loud applause from the spectators.
KIEFER STORE FLOODED.
All efforts to check the flames from to-
tally destroying the Kiefer building by
forcing the water to the top of the roof by
he adj We n, nd Ovvin fO
the fact that the Kiefer store was supplied
with automatic fire-sprinkling devices him
dered the flames from gaining a rapid
Roadway. Long before the fire had burned
through the wall the Kiefer store had been
flooded by means of the sprinkling system.
But this system did not prevent the roof
from burning, and had not two Glazier
Dozzles been brought into play on the
north side of the building the entire Kiefer
store might have been Quilted.
While the firemen were fighting the fire
and growing weak from the cold Mayor
Taggart ordered great tanks of coffee to
be served to the men. One Of the new
men stated that being a fireman was not
all that he had dreamed of.
The firm of Hendricks, Vance e. Co.
wholesale boot and shoe merchants. suf-
fered large loss from water and smoke.
This firm is located just south of the
Brinkmeyer & Kuhn house. and when the
latter store was ablaze the firemen were
forced to throw water into the adjoining
store to stop the progress of the fire.
Owing to the intense cold but few people
remained at the scene all the time the de-
partment was at work But people were
coming and going all the time, so that
there was at all times large crowd pres
ent About midnight, when most of the
companies had ceased to throw water into
the smoldering ruins. the sight presented
was a grand one. The street-car trolley
wires were masses of ice. and immense
icicles were formed in front and on the
sides and rear of the buildings.