The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-02-08
FLAMES FIND FOOD.
Destroy Property Valued at ST.
500, 900 in st. Louis.

st. Louis, Feb. Sire broke out at
1855 a. m. Sunday in the five-story
brick building at Broadway and Frank
lin avenue, occupied by the dry goods
firm of Penny & Gentles, and in few
minutes enveloped the entire structure.
Sparks and brands were blown in every
direction by strong northwest wind,
and the destruction |,f adjoining prop
erty was threatened A general alarm
was turned in and n every engine in
the city was at the enc or on the way
there. On the SOY of Penny & Gen.
ties the flames co nunicated with the
buildings occupi by Schaper Bros,
dry good, and The Famous, dry goods.
The burning area increased minute
by minute, the flames gaining great
Roadway and leaping across to the east
side of Broadway. In short time
large empty store building on the COR
ner of Franklin avenue was destroyed,
with those directly south, occupied by
the Peoples House Furnishing COM
pany, the Marks millinery store, Dills
dental parlors and Deer Bros. five and
ten cent store.
Walls Fall.
By II o'clock all the walls of the PEN
ny d Gentles' and Schaper Bros build
ing, with the exception of that on the
west, had fallen, and with the gale
blowing it became a menace to the
tiremen. The wall between Schaper
Bros. and The Famous fell, but the
flames were guenched before doing
much destruction in the latter estab-
lishment. 1t was not long before the
upper floors and walls of the building
opposite Penny & Gentles' on Broadway
began to fall. Casualties TO firemen
were numerous. When the walls of
Deer Bros five and ten cent store coll
lapsed several members of engine COM
pany No. II were in the building. Four
tiremen were covered by the debris,
and it was several hours before they
could be taken out.
Fireman Killed.
Charles Mappes, pipeman, had been
crushed to death and several Others in
jured. John Judge, foreman of No. II,
was wedged in with debris. Across his
feet lay the body of Mappes, but with
a cool head he directed the efforts
of his comrades in their work of res
cue. When he was finally removed, he
was taken to the hospital in an ambu-
lance, where several others of the in
jured had been removed
Other buildings Burned.
From Broadway the flames ate their
way through to a number of three and
four-story structures occupied by nu-
merous firms in various lines of bust
ness. These were soon on fire from
top to bottom, and were Quilted. Heroic
efforts were made to keep the flames
from the building on the corner of
Fourth street and Franklin avenue, &C.
cupied by the German-American bank,
and they were successful. This and
two buildings adjoining on the south
were saved. Across on Fourth street
and extending through to Third street
we're a row of old buildings occupied
by the Schisler-Cornelia Seed company,
the Plant Seed company, Krennings
Glass Ware and Crockery company,
Bassett Plumbing company, Muller
Block Commission company, Nelson
Distilling company, McLain & Alcon
Commission company, Hake & Sons
commission house, Benton & Co.'s COM
mission house, Baur Flour company and
William Books saloon. Here the fire.
men were able to stop the spread of the
fire to the east, but it was many hours
before the flames were quenched, after
tons of watr had been expel ded. The
interiors and stocks of mer, Iandise of
all these buildings were destroyed.
The Losses.
The loss of buildings and stocks, Of
goods is approximately $1,50O,oOO.
Definite figures are exceedingly hard
to obtain. The fact that it was Sum
day, and that neither proprietors nor
insurance adjusters were at their
places of business, contributed much
to this. Few proprietors or owners
could be found, and those who were
declared their inability to give def
mite information. There were six re-
tail concerns which were heavy los
ers. The balance of the loss is divided
in varying proportions among a score
ormore of small shop keepers or firms.
Only two concerns suffered losses Of
over 500, OO0--Penny & Gentles and
Schaper Bros. ... = SIT