Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-05
WERE DISASTROUS
TO FlREMEN.
Sunday Fires in ST. Louis and
Chicago,
ONE FIREMAN Is KILLED.
Thirteen Others are Hurt, one Prob
ably Fatally T. ght Other Persons
Injured Loss sl,j00,000.

81, Louis No. Feb. 4-Propcrty to
the estimated value Of Slj0)000 was
burned today. the greater part Of four
/ blocks Of buildings and their contents
/ between Third and Sixth streets and
| Franklin avenue and Morgan street, In
The heart Of the retail section, being
destroyed One fireman was killed,
nine other members Of the fire depart
ment were injured more or less Sc
rIously, and five. or six citizens slightly
hurt None Of the injured viii die as
FAR as known tonight. The fire origin
ated IN the store Of Penny d GentIes.
Dead-Charlcs W. Mebus, fireman.
The injured are:
Chief Swingley, face bllstered by heat.
John Judge, foreman engine company,
! bruised about legs, internal Injuries.
John Hammond. driver engine COM
pany leg broken, hand and cheek
bruised.
Mike Hanlon, truckman cut on hand.
John Karp, pipeman, internal injuries.
serious.
Harry Bridge, foreman engine COM
pany, shocked by electric wire.
Assistant Chief Gus Thierry, shocked
and burned by live wire.
A, j. OReilly supervisor city light
ing blown into street by conclusion Of
falling walls.
James j. schwelger, fireman, hands
cut
George w. Durand, spectator hip
dislocated.
August Reeber pipeman, leg broken
The loss on both buildings and stocks
OF goods Is approximately Sl5OO,0JO.
Definite hgures are exceedingly hard
70 obtain. There were six retail con-
Germs which were heavy loosers. The
balance Of the loss is divided In vary
ing proportions among a score OF more
small shopkeepers or firms.
The fire broke out at o'clock this
morning In the fve-story brick build
ing al Broadway and Franklin avenue,
occupied by the dry goods firm Of
Penny * Gentles. and In Il few minutes
enveloped the entire structure. Sparks
and brands were blown In every direc.
tion BY a strong northwest wind and
the destruction Of adjoining property
was threatened. A general alarm was
turned In and soon every engine in the
city was at the scene or on the way
there.
Late tonight John Cummings. private
Waterman Of Penny & Gentles, was
arrested and is being held at the -Four
courts, pending investigation into the
origin OF the fire. He was taken into
custody as the result Of a statement by
a woman rooming opposite, 10 the ef-
feet that she had seen a man answer
ing the watchman's description lighting
matches In the store previous 70 the
FIRE Cummings denied having had
anything TO do with IL, and states that
he was at home when the fire broke out,
The trolley wires along Broadway
and Franklin avenue were q source Of
danger. and until they were cut on the
mayors orders there were numerous
narrow escapes from electrocutlon.
While trying to get derailed ear out
OF the way Of the firemen at Fourth
and Morgan streets the car bumped
into a fire engine, crushing Fireman
Hanmore. He was seriously hurt.
For hours after the fire broke out the
scene was thronged with thousands Of
spectators who had been drawn by the
report that the city was burning up.
Every policeman available was hurried
to the scene and rope barriers were
erected around the fire section but It
was all they could do 70 keep the eager
crowd back.
When the walls OF Deer Bros. and
Decent store collapsed several mem
bers OF engine company No. il were In
the building -Four fremen We're COW
cred by the debris and II was several
hours before they could be taken out.
Charles Mappes, q pipe man. had
been crushed 70 death and several in
iured 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 rescue
When he was finally removed he was
taken 10 the hospital In an ambulance,
where several others Of the injured had
been removed.