The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-22
Blocks Destroyed by the Great Fire of
1897 Succumb Quickly Before
the Devouring Element.
FIREMEN's WORK OF NO AVAIL
THEY ARE DRIVEN BACK STEADILY
FROM BLOCK TO BLOCK.
The Loss May Reach Two Million Dol
lars-PrOgress of the Flames
il Very Rapid.

KNOXVILLE. Term, Dec. 22-Fire broke
out at lao o'clock this morning in the
Knoxville knitting mill building on Com
merce avenue, in the heart of the whole
sale district The same block is threat
ened with destruction which burned out in
1897, causing a loss at that time of over
one million dollars.
At 2:30 the fire had spread from the
knitting mill building both east and west.
into the Broyles. Lacky & Co. implement
house on the west, and wholesale hide
and commission house the east. All
three burning structures are four stories
high.
The wholesale clothing house of McTeer,
Hood e. Co. will be next to go if the fire
spreads east All Gay street property on
the east side of that between Commerce
and Wall avenues lis in danger of destruc-
tion.
The loss thus far is 100000 The entire
fire department is at work, but the fremen
are making no headway in their fight
At 2:35 a. IT. the fire crossed a narrow
alley at the west of the burning buildings,
and George Browns large wholesale and
retail hardware store is in flames at the
rear This is a five-story structure mid
way of big block. Chattanooga has been
wired for help.
BY 2:4O the fire had spread east as we'll
as west. and the McTeer. Hood & co.
clothing house has caught on the fifth
floor and is burning fiercely.
At 3:15 the fire threatens TO destroy prop
erty that will bring the total loss up in
excess of a million dollars.
The buildings on the east side of Cav
street, between Con merce and Wall ave-
nues seemed doomed. Water which was
poured on the threatened structures turned
Int cfna a g a rod h<.s
walls The large five-stofy building of the
George Brown Hardware Company. To-
Gated on Gay street, caught at the rear of
the fifth floor. The fire soon spread through
ii, dropping 20 the fourth floor then down
to the third. until ii was ruined. In the
meantime, on the east OF the burning struc-
lures the building of the large wholesale
clothing firm of McTeer. Hood &. Co had
caught fire on the top floor. the fifth. and
H. too was slowly devoured by the flames
The Davies Furniture Company's building
was next in flames. Then followed the
plant of the Claiborne, Tate & Cowan Cloth
ing Company. Chattanooga was asked for
aid at 2:30 and the answer came that an
engine company would soon leave the city
The r. III. Gate & Co. wholesale liquor
house was next to go. The same building
is occupied by the shanklin Grain Co and
Merchants Transfer Company. Up TO $3.50
the loss is fully s1.000.00O. possibly more.
All the firms well insured
The buildings which seemed doomed are
those occupied by Haynes, Henson & Co..
street; Gillespie, Shields & Co, wholesale
clothiers, ana Brown. Payne, Deaver &
Co.. wholesale dry goods. at 3lS 800 and 322
Cav street. II these burn another million
will be added to the loss.
Five thousand people are at the scene of
the fire at this writing.
The burning of the big Brown store was
made doubly dangerous owing to the large
number of cartridges stored In IL. which ex-
ploded like punches OF frecrackers.
At $40 il looks If the fire will not
spread farther south than the Brown Hard
ware Company. and the firemen have a
better chance of getting IL under control
than at any time since its origin.
The falling in of the Brown building and
the explosion OF quantity of dynamite
was godsend to the firemen ard they
have taken advantage of the opportunity
The entire wire service. street car. elec-
trio lights and telephones are paralyzed.
poles having been burned and wires fallen
by the hundreds. No one has been more
than slightly hurt
The origin of the fire is mystery.