The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-24
Several Other Buildings and Stocks
of Clothing, Furs, Etc., De-
strOyed or Damaged.
FIREMEN WERE HAMPERED
STREETS NARROW AND CONTENTS
OF STORES INFLAMMABLE.
Weather Was Cold and the PeO.
PIE Jammcd the ThOroughfares
The Principal Losers.

MONTREAL, Jan. "a, a. m.-One OF the
| most destructive fires from which this city
has ever suffered began at o'clock last
night, and, Notwithstanding the efforts of
the entire fire department, the progress of
the flames was not checked until o'clock
this morning. By that time it had de-
stroyed property valued at between s., SOC, 900
and $3.O0O,OOO and was still burning, though
the appearance was that the fremen have
at last got it under control
Included in the property burned is the
splendid Board of Trade building, which
cost over half a million dollars, with over
a hundred tenants and half dozen large
| firms and two scores of smaller concerns.
The weather was cold and the firemen were
greatly hampered in this respect. Outside
| of the Board of Trade building there was
| not a modern structure among those
burned. The narrow streets, antiquated
buildings and the inflammable nature of
| the stocks they contained made combina-
ton which the department was powerless
| to overcome.
The fire practically burned until it came
to open space. which gave the firemen an
opportunity for effective work. For time
it looked as If the flames would spread
along Commissioners street to the grand
office building in course of erection there
Numerous crowds of people jammed the
narrow streets and the police could not
control them. Women tainted and their
clothes were torn and a few were slightly
injured in rushes for safety.
Following are estimates of the principal
losses: Board of Trade, 100000. insurance
$780, 900: tenants, 100000; M. SAKE & Co.,
wholesale clothiers, $4,000; H. A. Nelson &
Sons Company, fancy goods, $150.0OO;
Beardmore & Co., tanners, 100000; Silver
man, Boulter & Co., hats, caps, etc.. $l25,-
600: Coristine & Co., furs, 100000; c. Sey-
bold. Sons & c., $4,000; Redmond. Green
less & Co., hats and furs, $4,000; H. Levi,
woolens, etc., s6O, 900; c. A. Choulau & Co.,
commission merchants, $4,000; b. Levy q
Co., furs, $4,000: Gilmour Bros. & Co.. COM
mission merchants, $1,000; Lapore, Martin
& Co. $4,000; ]. Copen & Co., wholesale
clothiers, $4,000.
MASS OF FLAMES.
The fire started at sos o'clock last night
in the premises of NJ. SAKE & Sons, whole
sale clothiers on the corner OF Lemonie
and st. Peter street. The streets in the
locality were deserted at the time and
the fire apparently had a good head before
the first alarm was sent in. The firemen
on arriving found the building. a three
story stone structure, a mass of flames,
the fire having APPARENTLY started in the
basement and rushed up the elevator shaft
in the rear of the store
Second and third alarms were sent in i'm
mediately on the arrival of the division
chief, but before the nearest reinforce
ments reached the scene the flames had
leaped across ST. Peter street. which is
very narrow at this point, and attacked
the big five-story building occupied by H.
III. A. Nelson & Sons Company, fancy
goods. ETC. Here il spread as rapidly as
IT had in the SAKE building. In almost an
instant It seemed as if the entire building
was a roaring furnace.
The warehouse of Bardmore e. CO., tam
ners. adjoining the Nelson's to the south,
was next attacked, and from there the
flames communicated to the establishment
of Silverman Boulter G. Co, wholesale
hatters and furriers. Here another inflam-
| mable stock added zest to the flames. In
the meantime the flames had continued
down St. Peter street, on the side on which
| It started to the corner Of St.
Paul street, licking up the prem
ises of J. Bourdeau & Co., hats, caps, etc.
St Peter street for an entire block was a
mass of flames on either side. In the
meantime a great fight was being made to
save the big Board of Trade building.
erected eight years ago at cost of $500. .O00
north side. For long time the efforts Of
the brigade were successful the plentiful
supply of water keeping the exposed por-
tons cool. But the flames had extended
along the north side of st. Paul street,
going west from Silverman, Boulter &
Co.'S licking UP half dozen concerns in
its way, until IL reached the big wholesale
fur establishment of James Coristine &
Co. This building extended all the way
from ST. Paul street TO the Board of
Trade building and the flames apeared to
go through IT like tinder box. When the
rear wall OF this building was reached it
was seen that the Board of Trade would
have TO go to- Solid sheets of flame sprang
out and up and seized hold of the big build
ing in dozen different places. driving the
firemen back.
The new and more modern structure
burned more slowly than those which had
already fallen prey to the flames. and the
firemen could not stay the march of the
devouring element.
BY this time every piece OF fire fighting
apparatus the city possessed was in use.
Two water towers. which had failed to keep
the blaze out of the Board of Trade build
ing. were shifted around TO st. Paul street.
but here again they were too late. The IRE
dashed across the narrow street and at
tackled the premises Of Thomas Dsvidson