Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-27
-AMEs RAGE FOR NEARLY TWELVE HOURS
half Square in Heart of City is Totally
Destroyed by Fire.
DAMAGE is ESTIMATED At s2,ooo,ooO
Pike Theater and Scores of Offices Go Up in
Clouds Of Smoke.
FALLING CUFF SAVES ACTORS LIFE
Seeks Refuge on Roof and Secures
Timely succor By Dropping Mes
sage PencIIed HurriedIy on
wearing Apparel.


CINCINNATI, Feb 2s.-Tnis city was
visited with Ere today that destroyed one
. half OF a square in the center of the busi-
ness district and caused a loss Of over ST.
100000.
The fire departments OF Covington, New
port and other Kentucky towns came
promptly to the assistance OF the local Are
men, but II took nearly twelve hours be-
fore their combined efforts got the FIRE un-
der control Crews were at work all the
time on the roofs of surrounding buildings.
and a general conhagration was narrowly
averted.
II was perhaps the greatest scare the city
ever had, as 1t was thought at one time
that the entire business section was doomed
and such would have been the case II thero
had been high wind
Joseph Sehaefer and John Kennan were
seriously injured by falling walls, but both
will recover. Captain O'Keefe, with seven
fremen, was caught on the roof of one of
the buildings, and all came near perishing
when the flames broke out under them, but
they we're rescued in the nick of time, and
II is not believed any lives we're lost.
About 1880 this morning flames wer0 dis
covered In the cellar of George jones' gro
cery building on Fourth street, between
Vine and Walnut. An hour later there was
an explosion, supposed to come from liquors
in storage, and the flames soon afterward
shot up through the roof of the six-story
stone front building, and from that time
on for several hours the FIRE was beyond
control.
The Pike building was totally destroyed,
including the offices of the United States
Express company, the Adams Express COM
pany, Whites restaurant, owned by May
nard & Kerr; George Jones' grocery, John
B.. Martins restaurant, Empson's confec-
tionery, Henry Strauss cigar store and the
ofices of tho Pike Theater company on the
hrst floor, the Pike theator auditorium and
green rooms ana other ofioes on the secopd
floor and all OF the ofices on the third,
fourth and hfth floors.
The Season Good building. adjoining the
Pike building On the west. At the corner OF
Vine and Fourth streets, was badly dam
aged.
Adjoining Bui1dinEs Damaged.
The building adjoining the Pike building
on the east, owned BY the La b. Harrison
estate and occupied by the Robert Clarke
company. publishers, and Duhme Bros,
jewelers., on the hrst floor, and others in
the upper stories, was totally destroyed
The Fosdick building, east Of the Robert
Clark company and Duhme Bros, occupied
by the Norfolk & Western railroad and
others. was badly damaged. while the Car
Isle building, occupied by the Southern Pa
cihc Railway company and Smith Sons
and the Cincinnati Trust company, On the
first floor. and very many Offices GA the
other ave floors, were damaged.
The front stone wall of the Pike building
and those of adjoining structures. owned
by Robert Clark & Co., and the DuhmC
Bros. teRelry store and the Season Good
buildings. withstood the heat and did moi
fall. The rear walls OF these structures
however, which are of brick, gave way with
the falling floors.
sweeps Across an Alley.
The fre swept across the alley known a
Baker street and burned the large publish
ing house of the American Book compan.
z at the corner of Baker street and othe
property along Baker street and did grea
damage to the telephone building, so tina
Nall telephones in the city were cut off 70
some time.
All the guests In the Burnett house ol
Vine street. Just across the street from tn
telephone building, were called out Of thei
rooms. as we're those OF the Gibson, tn
close proximity to the fire.
The Kankakee building, which Is dag
onally across the street from the Seaso
Good building and Pike opera house and 1
occupied by the Western Union. the Asso
Waited Press, the Big -Four and other ofices
was threatened and all the wires of tn
Western Union for hours were in danger
but this location was spared. although
had narrow escape. II was not unit
noon that the FIRE was got under contro
and the danger Of a general coniagratio
was over.
AS itlis known that about twenty peopl
sleep In the Pike building, there were a
first reports that several lives had bee
lost, but none OF these reports have bee
confirmed
Rescued with DiMcuIty.
There were. however. many narro'
escapes. Night watchmen John Agi
and Matt Garretson aud Harry Rich
ardson, doorkeeper. saved six live
by entering the building and fore
ing their way through the smoke and rescu
ing lodgers Five men were asleep in a rea
room OF the Pike building when they wer
rescued by having their door broker. The
were John Mulvern, B. W. Eeigler, II. {
Storey J. f. Mcdonald and W. c. Asker
All escaped in their night clothes. Agir
Richardson and Garretson passed throuR
the building giving the alarm until the
had TO be helped out OF the structure them
selves.
J. c, Cannon, head OF a detective burea,
who was asleep on the third floor. wa
awakened and escaped in his night clothei
He lost all the records Of his once. Moth
ing was saved from the upper floors.
Among the losers are Artists John War
Dunsmore, Rena de Camp, Elizabeth
Eckstein and C. A, Meurer. whose Studio
were lost with many valuable pictures.
Actor Makes Thrilling Escape.
The escape OF William Jones, the we
known Cincinnati actor, Just before th
roof OF the burning building fell, and HI
rescue half dead from the top OF the builo
ing was a thrilling one. Jones presene
OF mind, which led him 10 throw his Gu
into the street below aud thus make h
whereabouts known, saved his life.
When the IRE broke out Jones was aslee
(continued on Second PagNl