The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-01
Many Lives Imperiled, Twenty Per-
sons Injured and Property
Worth 81, 800, 600 Destroyed.
COATES OPERA HOUSE BURNED
WALKER wHITESIDE'S "HEART AND
SWORD COMPANY SUFFERS.
Lost Wardrobe and Scenery-Princi-
pal Theater in Kansas City-The
Building valued at $120,0OO.

factory of the William Wicke Company.
manufacturers of cigar boxes, labels and
ribbons, at Nos. 401 to 419 East Thirty-first
street, was shaken this afternoon by an
explosion In the shaving tower" which
wrecked the tower and demolished the roof
OF the engine house. The explosion is be-
l.eved to have been caused by gas. which
found its way into the tower. The force
Of the explosion was tremendous. The dis
integrated brick work fell on the engine
house, crushing it, and the concussion of
the explosion cracked the big smokestack-
100 feet high-that lowered over the engine
room.
Nearly eight hundred persons were at
work in the factory at the time of the ex-
plosion. Three hundred and fifty of them
we're women. A panic ensued. but only
two persons were seriously injured. Joseph
Spiedler, fireman, was badly cut and
bruised about the head and body. He was
unconscious when found and was sent to
Bellevue Hospital. He may die. Emil Bar
schet, steamftter. was badly cut about
the head and shoulders. He. too was sent
to the hospital. A score or more We're
slightly hurt by being cut with broken
glass or struck with flying splinters.
Otto Reidels the chief engineer. who was
just returning from lunch when the explo-
sion occurred, was arrested. Fritz Schofele,
the assistant engineer, who was in the en-
gine house but escaped with a few
scratches, was also arrested. The loss
caused by the explosion amounted to sever
al thousand dollars.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Fire that did damage to the extent of
1880. 900 started anew in the William Wicke
Ccmpany's building tonight. half hour
after the first alarm was sent in the en-
tire building. extending half the length OF
the block in Thirty-first street to the East
river was a mass of flames and the firemen
who had responded to the various alarms
had ceased to attempt to save the building
hut had turned all their attention to the
adjacent structures. How the fire started
is not known further than that it was the
result Of the explosion in the boiler room
in the afternoon.
At the time the fire started thirty men
were at work attempting to Full down the
shaving tower adjacent to the boiler room
in which the explosion in the afternoon
took place. The ruins of the tower fell
into the ruins of the boiler room and on
top of the adjacent rooms In which there
were stored chemicals for the purpose of
seasoning woods, thus causing a second
explosion. Smoldering embers from the
late fire added to this and in moment
there was a huge blaze.
Five alarms were turned in within a few
minutes and soon Chief Croker sent in
the alarm known as two nines." the first
time this alarm has been used since the
Nassau Chambers building fire in 1895. The
final call brought engines, hook and lad
del companies and towers to the number of
fifty-four.
Roundsman Quinn and Sergeant Haupt-
man, who was promoted for bravery at
the Windsor Hotel fire, were in command
Of squad of ten men at the scene when
the fire started. They saw that the Wicke
building was doomed and turned their at
tention to the tenement house opposite the
burning factory. This is a five-story tene-
ment occupied by twenty-five families OF
Italians and Germans. The police sue
ceeded in getting all of them out safely.
The fire in the meantime had spread with
the greatest rapidity throughout the en-
tire plant of the Wicke Company. The
building at the corner of Thirty-first and
First avenue was in flames in twenty min
utes. In less time than that the blaze had
eaten its way into the building abutting
on the rear and facing on Thirty-second
street and the top ..oor Of which was &C.
cupied by the same company.
About this time the police saw that the
tenement on the west corner of First ave-
nue. and Thirty-irst street was doomed.
They turned their attention to- getting out
the people who were there. A policeman
carried out Mrs. Sarah Mcdonald. who
lived on the second floor and who had given
birth 10 a babe only few days ago.
HORSES sCORCHED.
Engine company No. 81, which had at
tached lines OF hose to the hydrant at the
corner and almost underneath the walls
of the burning factory, was seen TO be in
a dangerous position. The firemen had
been forced back by the heat and were
compelled TO abandon the three big white
horses that stood there. The wall had
broken out just beside the engine and the
heat was unbearable. The horses struggled
to escape. but seemed paralyzed with fright
The hair on their backs was seen to turn
to brownish color. and some firemen
threw overcoats over their heads and ran
in and cut the traces. The horses plunged
madly into First avenue. but became en-
tangled about lamp post and were un-