The age-herald., 1900-02-05
DISASTROUS FIRE SWEEPS ST. LOUIS :
 DESTROYING IFE AND PROPERTY
One Fireman Was Crushed to Death Beneath the Falling Walls
 and Many More Were Injured

 Bros. had fallen, and with the gale blowing, it became a menace to the firemen. few moments later the upper floors and walls of the building opposite Penny &s Gentles on Broadway began to fall. Casualties to firemen were numerous. When the walls of Deer Bros five and ten cent store col lapsed several members of engine company No. Il were in the building. Four flremen were covered by the debris. and 1t was sev- eral hours before they could be taken out.
 Charles Mappcs, a pipeman.i had been crushed to death, and several others in- jured John Judge, foreman of No, Il. was weaged in with debris. Across his feet lay the body of Mappes, but with cool head he directed the efforts of his comrades in their work of rescue.
 From Broadway the flames ate their way through to a number of four story struct- ures. These were soon on fire from top to bottom and were gutted, Heroic efforts were made to keep the flames from the building on the corner of Fourth street and Franklin avenue, occupied by the German American bank, and they were successful
 Across on the Fourth street and extending through to Third street were a row of old buildings occupied by the Schisler-Corne- lia seed company, the Plant Seed company, Krenning's Glassware and Crockery com pany, Bassett Plumbing company, Mueller Block Commission company, Nelson Dis- tilIng company, McLan & Aleom Commits sion company, flake x Sons Commission reesfCasmpanytco 'hrdlu cmfwyp cmfwyp house. Benton & Co.'S commission house, Bauer Flour company and William Books saloon Here the firemen were able to stop the spread of the fire to the east. but it was many hours before the flames were quench- ed. The interiors and stocks of merchan- disc of all these buildings were destroyed
 At this point Third street widens out and this helped the firemen to keep the flames in check. If the fire had broken beyond bounds here nothing could have prevented it from sweeping everything totthe river, and the loss would have been enormous.
 Heat Was Intense 7
 I'm the nelant.tme stores and buildings on the north side eff Franklin avenue for half taock east and west of Broadway were suffering. The great heat from the burn Eng buildings opposite broke the windows, and soon flying embers had started 'blazes fin Ia half dozen different places.
  las much of their property as possible The tro1ly wires along Broadway and Franklun avenue were a source of danger, and until they were cut by the mayors orders there were numerous marrow escapes from elec- ltrocutlcm. A corps of men engaged in res cuing a denaGled cable car stretched a eng chain from "a Fourth street grip car, the power of the cahle being used ito haul it
 q. rrtda man siaTlted his car, burt dpd not release it soon enough The derafled car crashed tTito "a fire engine which w1s stationed on Nhe corner and crushed Flreman Hanmcre. He was removed to the dispen1ary, where hds Injuries were pronounced fatal
 For hours after the fire broke out the scene was ttrcnged wrl.h thousands of spec taltors who had been drawn from churches and homes by the report that the city was bparrling up Every policeman available was hurried to the scelne. and rope barriers were erected around the section in which the flames were raging. It was all thc police could do to keep the eager crowd from pressing !n and hlnderdng the fire men. Amlbu1ances were called.
 Among the firms and individuals that suffered heavily from the fire are the fol- lowing, whose places of business were on the east side of Fourth and west side of Third street:
 A. Nasse, wholesale grocer; Plant Seed company; Krenning Glass company; Bas- sett's plumbing establishment; McLain & Alcorn Commission company; Butler Block Commission company; Nelson Dis tilling company: Haake & Sons Commis- sion company; George A. Benton, Produce company; Bauer Flour company; Shaw & Richmond, produce; Fred Pohlman's sa- loon.
 Their losses aggregate thousands of dol lars and are partially covered by insur- ance