The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-03
Railroad Officials Say the Loss VIII Be
Somewhere Between $4,000
and $4,000.
HEAVY DOORS A HINDRANCE
FIREMEN WERE UNABLE TO GET At
THE FIRE QUICKLY.
All Records and Papers Saved and
Business VIII BE Carried on
Usual To-day.


South streets was protected by steel doors.
preventing firemen from getting into the
building last night caused a loss by fire
of anywhere from $4,000 to $4,000 more
than would have resulted had the doors
been of wood.
At o'clock fire box No 81 was pulled
because of the fire. 1t was discovered by
clerks working on the second floor of the
building who smelled smoke and at once
gave the alarm. Clerks rushed both ways
around the building and warned others in
the offices. So fast did the fire burn that
by the time W. CT. Chaplin, the cashier,
got some of the papers in the safe, he was
unable to get down the stairway and was
forced to get out through a second-story
window. He hung on the window ledge
until the arrival of the fire department and
a ladder was put up for him. A number
of other clerks in the freight Office next
TO the place where the fire started were
almost overcome by smoke before they
could get out.
Within a few minutes after the arrival
of the fire companies from No. hook and
ladder, a second alarm was sounded So
threatening did the fire become that a third
alarm was turned in few minutes
later.
The fire started in the section known as
No. l, being the north freight room. 1t
burned with great rapidity and it was not
until after the arrival of the companies
called on the third alarm that the firemen
were able to get at the fire and fight it
with telling effect The sides of the build
ing are made up mostly IF castings and
doors all of which are OF steel. Firemen
in attempting to cut through them with
axes broke one after another and finally
were forced TO abandon that method Of
getting at the fire and go to the second
story and the roof which had quickly
burned through in several places. After
about half an hour several of the steel
doors were opened, having been battered
and bent until they were forced inward.
A STRONG BREEZE.
Fourteen streams of water were at one
time running into the building. strong
breeze from the northeast greatly hindered
the fremen, especially those working on
the west side of the building. The smoke
and steam were so dense at times that a
lantern a few feet away could hardly be
seen, and the men were obliged to stop
frequently for fresh air and to be relieved.
sists of three parts, between them being
| fire walls. The fire was in No 1 at the
north end. 1t fast worked its way to the
south end of the section and the firemen
attempted to follow it. Not being able to
get at the blaze from advantageous points,
only small portions of the section could be
covered by streams at one time. When the
streams were withdrawn for a few min
Il
seemingly as much fierceness as before,
| and il was not until after IL o'clock that
the fire was under control.
The cross fire walls between Sections 1
| and 2 protected the latter to a great ex-
tent and the fire barely got through the
wall, and did but very little damage.
The night force of clerks was very busy
| gathering up the valuable records and put
| ting them in the safes or carrying them
out to places of safety. At the time the
fire broke out Superintendent Van Wrinkle
was in his office working on a lot of corre-
| spondence. He went out and viewed the
| destructive work of the flames until the
fire was under control and his office was
| cleared of smoke, when he returned and
| finished his work.
| He said it was not possible to make any
| thing like accurate estimate of the
damage done The second floor of the
freight sections was filled with goods in
storage, the value of which was unknown.
| The lower floor. he said, contained mer-
! chandse received during the day from in
coming freights and not delivered. The
| building, he said was worth about $50, 600,
| having been erected in 1893. He thought
very little damage had been done to the
| building, as the walls had not been injured
/ and the fire had been confined almost
| wholly to the one section.
FROM $4,000 TO $4,000
| He thought $4,000 TO $4,000 would be a
large figure at which to place the loss, al
| of which was covered by insurance placed
| at Cincinnati through the firm of Adam
| Gray & Co.
General Agent Andrew c. Wood arrived
| at the depot after the fire was under con-
| troll. In company with John @. Hicks, gen.
eral yard master, he went through the build
! ing, including the burned section AMI de-
cided that the loss was small. He thought
| $4,000 would cover the damage to the
] building. the merchandise In transit and all
incidental expenses resulting from the fire
| The chief engineer, he said. would be on
| hand early this morning and repairs
| would begin at once. Although business al
| this time is unusually heavy. he thought lit
| tie inconvenience would result, as the com
| Iany has plenty of room which can be
| utilized None of the tracks or platforms
| were damaged.
| Night WatChman Kaylor said he had been
| through section No. l about ten minutes
| before he saw the fire department running
| UP 10 the building as he came from the out
| bound freight house. He said there was no
| sign of fire when he left the building. The
! fire is supposed 10 have resulted from an
| electric light wire or from an arc lamp
| from which spark dropped into crates OF
| china which had been in storage for HOll-
| veg & Reese and moved from the second
| floor late i'm the evening These crates. il
| was said. were directly under one of the are
| lamps.
/ The freight section of the building Is
| two stories in height and at either end is
/ "A three-story structure used for offices
| The upper floors of these parts are used for
| storing records and had the fire reached
| them there would have been a loss OF many
| thousands of dollars. The rooms upon eX-
/ animation were found to be free from
| damage except that occasioned by smoke
| which was very light.
| The iremen were given much praise for
| the manner In which they worked and the
/ effective work done under existing condi-
i tons Few who saw the fire and the
/ thought except that il would quickly eat
! its way through the fire walls and destroy
/ the whole building. IL was. however. con
| fined 70 the one section. The entire build
] ing Is go feet long and about Go feet wide.
! Superintendent Van Wrinkle thought the
/ fire would hardly Inconvenience merchants
| Tor the reason that most of them who have
| been looking for holiday goods took them
! out during the day and all of the mer-
| riety As none of the records was DESTROYED
| no cOmpanV will be able 10 advise CON.