Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-24
BEATRICE HAS A BAD FIRE
Flames Start in Days Drug Store and
sOOn Spread.
MASONIC TEMPLE A MASS OF RUINS
Girls Jump from Burning Candy Fac.
tory at st. Joseph and Two Are
Fatally Injured-other Fires
in other Places.

BEATRICE, Neb., Dec. 2S.-(Special
Telegram. Fire originating in the base
ment Of Days drug store, in the Masonic
temple block. totally destroyed the entire
block and contents at O'Clock this morn
ing.
The fire is supposed to have been OF
incendiary origin. The flames spread from
the basement to the floor above. and be-
fore the arrival OF the fire department was
beyond control.
The Beatrice National bank, Trevitt,
Maths q Baker, private bankers, Days
drug store and a number OF lawyers, in
surance agents and real estate men occu-
pied the building.
The fire was discovered by Judge CALI
son, who roomed over the drug store. He
was awakened by the smell of smoke and.
although crippled by rheumatism. man
aged to crawl to a window. break the
glass and call for help.
His cries were heard by the printers
in nearby printing ofice, who turned in
the alarm and rescued him.
Insufficient water PretHure.
The hremen we're hindered in their
fight with the flames by an insufficient
water pressure. caused by the installing Of
new boiler at the city pumping station.
The Masonic temple is situated on the
southwest corner of Sixth and Court
streets. The Lepoidevin block and sew
eral large clothing stores are situated ad-
Joining It on the west.
The fire spread to the roofs Of these
buildings and was checked only with the
utmost difficulty. The fire burned all day in
the Masonic temple, and the east walls of
the building have fallen in. The other walls
were dynamited to prevent the spread of
the fire to other buildings.
The Paddock hotel caught fire from the
flying sparks twice during the night and
panic-stricken guests deserted It for places
OF safety. The bank vaults, which contained
$500, 900 in money, besides valuable papers
are buried beneath tons Of wreckage, but
are intact.
The contents, It is thought, will not be
damaged. The Beatrice National opened
for business in the Nebraska bank building
promptly on time this morning.
Loss WIN be Heavy.
The loss from the fire will reach $3.50 900,
partially covered by insurance. The prin-
cipal losers are H. @. Day, druggist; the
Beatrice National bank, Trevitt, Maths &
Baker. @. H. johnson & Son, H. ]. Dobbs,
lawyer; Judge Cobbey lawyer; Richard
Grant, architect; city Board of Education,
and numerous others. The buildings on the
opposite side of the street were damaged
by the flames.
Girls Jump frona Windows.
ST. JOSEPH, NO., Dec. 23.-Fire broke
out at s:45 o'clock this morning in Chase
& Sons candy mandatory and destroyed it.
a.
Leslie, aged 20 years, girls employed at the
place. jumped from a third-story window
and were fatally hurt.
Miss Mintus right leg was broken and
her head badly cut Miss Leslie's skull was
fractured.
There were fifty girls employed in the
factory and many others jumped from sec
ond and third-story windows, many sus-
tanning slight injuries. Laura Crawford.
May Dakin and Rosa Kraus were injured
about the head by jumping. not fatally.
The origin OF the fire is unknown. The
factory had been running night and day to
ill holiday orders and the night and day
shifts were changing at the time the fire
broke out The loss on the candy factory
is 500. 900.
Douglass & Co.'s commission house, ad-
Joining Chase's .swas damaged to the extent
of IS 900, fully insured The street railway
company's power house is across the alley
and It was slightly damaged. The feed
wires were cut and street car trafac was
suspended for several hours.
Fireman is Killed.
BRADFORD, Pa, Dec. 2s.-The fire
which broke out early this morning de-
stroyed the Odd Fellows block, entailine
ross NJ S1E0 000
Among the losers are the Star Publishing
company, postofice, Bauer's insurance
agency and the armory OF Company G.
National guard.
While removing the occupants the ladder
fell, precipitating four hremen to the
floor. Thaddeus Green was killed and
Thomas Angul, w. McCanerty and join
Bigler were serious, but not fatally, hurt
Tenants Have Narrow Escapes.
CINCINNATI, Dec 23.-Fire in a three.
story block in fiat in Mount Auburn at
! O'Clock this morning imperiled the lives o.
the three families IN the building and SEN
eight persons TO the hospital. one or TIVE
of whom may not recover
The fire started in the cellar among som'
rubbish under the gas meter. causing a ga
| explosion, which tore up a portion of thu
first floor. The fire then caught the stair
way and the frightened inmates running
/ down the stairway we're painfully burned.
| Mrs. Thomas and her son and daughte
on the third floor we're rescued by fire lad
ders Theodore Aylward and wife and thre
| children on the second floor we're all seri
| ously burned. Mildred, aged 9, inhalet
flames and is in a serious condition. Gar
land Thomas aged IT, is likewise in a crit
! ical condition.
Edward Werder and family, on the hrs
floor, escaped by jumping out OF the win
dow. All the injured we're taken to Chris
hospital. The damage by fire was small
Four Buildings at Van Meter.
VAN METER, Ia. Dec. 23.-Van Mete
suffered a $500 fire this morning, whlc
destroyed four small frame buildings o
East Main street. The losses in detail ar
as follows; e. Goar. buildings. $4,000; in
surance, $1,2OO William Smith, photo
graph gallery and household goods, $500
small insurance. Ed Martin, househol
goods, 500: no insurance.
Fire at BeIIair, Ohio.