The Van Buren press., 1902-01-18
QUARTER MILLION Loss.
Destruction of the Rice-Stix Co.'s
Premium Shirt Factory
at St. Louis.
FIGHT TO SAVE ADJOINING PROPERTY,
The Downtown Portion Of the city
EnyeIopcd In Il Pail of smoke
and street CIR Traffic impeded
for Several HOurs-Many Work
ers Rendered Idle.

St. Louis, Jan. lG.-Fire, Wednes
day morning, caused loss of $3.50
900 in the destruction of Rice-Stix
Co.'S Premium shirt factory anc
ware house at zoos st. Charles street.
All the engine and truck companies
in the central and western part OF
the city were brought to the scene
of the fire by general alarm, which
was turned in at 63O o'clock.
Two hundred persons, three
fourths of them women and girls. are
temporarily thrown out of employ
ment by the contiagration, which de-
stroyed the machinery and stock of
the factory and the contents of the
warehouses.
In the adjoining building at Tenth
and St. Charles, damage amounting
to sveral hundred dollars was done
by water, which found its way
through the roof to the stock on the
third story.
Fight to Prevent Its Spread.
The utmost efforts of the firemen
were required to keep the fire from
communicating to the Cort1celii
building. which was separated from
the burning factory by single wall
On the first floor of the building
was the warehouse of the Rice-StM
Co., whose large store, fronting on
Washington avenue, and extending
back to st. Charles street. directly
Joins the factory on the rear.
Cotton and wooden goods were
stored on the frt floor. On the floors
above, shirts, Jeans and underwear
were manufactured and stored.
The fire originated on the second
floor, and is supposed to have been
caused by an overheated stove in
the laundry, which was at the rear
of this floor.
Private Waterman William Bell and
Policeman Connell saw the flames at
the rear of the second story at 6;15
o'clock. and Bell turned in the alarm.
The fire spread to the two floors
above and to the first floor, and the
firemen who entered the building on
the arrival of the first companies
were compelled, in less than ten min
utes, to retreat to the street,
A Dozen streams Used.
From the roof of the four-story
Corticelli building. from u saloon
building across the alley, and from
a tower on the st. Charles street side,
streams of water were discharged
directly into the topmost foor OF the
building. A dozen streams played on
the first and second floors. and the
streets, for Il radius of two blocks.
were converted into canals.
The fire was one Of the smokiest
ever seen In st. Louis, and the fumes
of the smoldering cotton added sew
eral degrees q fog to the ordinary
morning atmosphere Of the surround
ing district.
with the laying Of hose lines
across Locust street traffic on the
downtown loop of the Suburban line
ceased, and q blockade increased,
until passengers bound for
downtown points were compelled to
lenve the cars at Fourteenth street
and Franklin avenue and walk to
their destinations.
On the Washington avenue line n
similar blockade resulted, but was re-
lieved when the line Of cars reached
Twelfth street
Only the walls Of the building were
left standing.
The warehouse Of the Carleton Dry
Goods Co., at Tenth and Locust
streets, was threatened by the
flames, but was saved by the hre'
mems efforts.
Az estimated by members Of the
Arm of Rice, Silk & Co., and Moses
Frnley, with whom the property was
insured. the loss on the building will
be $50, ,0O0 on the stock nearly $780,
O00. and on machinery 100000, max
Ing total OF $250,O0O.
"rhe stock on the first floor was
unusually heavy at this time or
year." snld n member Of the firm
"rhe upper floors were also heavily
stocked with the product Of the fac
A IL al lnl