New-York tribune., 1903-02-27
CINCINNATI FIRESWEPT.
SUFFERERS NUMBER 900.
Loss s.. 900. 0O0-Many NarTOTc Is
capes Business Centre Sared.

Cincinnati Feb. 26--This city was visited WIN
2 fire to-day which destroyed half square Ill
The centre Of the business district. and caused a
loss of more than 100000. There are ap-
pl,oxilnately four hundred losers. The burning
enhers were carried for mlles, the hentuchH
suburbs being covered with them. The fire de-
partnoents of Co1inston New port and other
Kentucky towns came promptly TO the ana u
the local hen. but it was noon before. D!
their combined efforts. they got under con'roi
the FIRE which started about 1::So a. M
Crews were at work all the time on the roofs
of surrounding buildings. and a general con-
fagration was narrowly aVerted III WAS
thought at one time that the entire business
section was doomed as il would have been had
there heen brisk winds
Though there are reports Of persons being
missing. il is not thought that any lives were
lost. 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. hut they were rescued by lad
dcrs Joseph Schaefer and John keenan, were
seriously injured by falling wallis. but both will
recover
Tho fire has wiped out many landmarks All
The buildings among the most substantial
in the city with the exception Of the large
hut old Pike Building, where the fire began in
The cellar OF Joffee's grocery store.
EXPLOSION SBEEAlS FLAMES.
About an hour after the flames were discov-
cred. there was an explosion. supposed TO he of
liquors stored in the cellar, and the blaze shot
ur through the roof IF the six story building.
soon the and side walls and the roof of
tho building were in The cellar. The front.
which of stone. did not fall
The escape Of VIII Jones. an actor of this
city. Just before the roof fell. WAS of the
most thrilling incidents of the fire. Jones went
20 the Pike Budng about midnight get his
Halise. which he had eft in the studio of an
artist on the fourth floor Being tired from a
long rehearsal, ne fell asleep in a chair to he
awakened by tho smoke.
Nearly blinded and suffocated, he climbed to
The door, only to find the flames shooting up the
airskaft. How he made his way he does not
know. hut he reached the stairway leading to
The top floor and got on the roof through A
skylisht. There he fell and was stunned. When
he recovered the flames were shooting through
the roof. He crawled TO the edge but the
fremen in the street did not see him or hear
him shout.
As 3 last resort he wrote his cuff Il am
roof. Nearly dead from gas" and threw il
10 the ground. where a reporter picked it up.
lie made out Jones on the roof. apparently sur
rounded by flames. and the firemen hurried TO
the rescue. Jones crept along the edge of the
roof 10 the rear of the building. and there
waited for the fremen. who placed a ladder
across the alley from the Telephone Exchange
Building ana carried him to safety.
FIRE JUMPS STREET
From the Pike Building the fire swept across
The alley known as Baker-st.. and burned the
large publishing house Of the American Book
Company and other property in Baker-st and
did great damage to the telephone building, so
that all telephones in the city were cut off for
some time.
The telephone exchange is on the top floor OF
the telephone building, and the girl operators
were badly frightened as the clouds Of smoke
rolled about the building; but they stuck TO THEN
posts until $50 a. m. when the flames were
blazing in their windows. and they were or
dered out Later they returned to their cans,
and when the large day force of girls came OF
drtv they fearlessly went to the sixth moor le
work though The fire ragged all around thenn-
About twenty persons sleep in the Pike Build
ing and there were many narrow escapes JohI
Agin the night Natchman, and Matt darIet-
son aud Harry Richardson, doorkeepers, saved
six lives by forcing their way through me
smoke. Five men in rear room Nele 80 Sinb
by having their doors broken in Aglil' .iH IalGI-
ardson and Garretson went through lhe ouilH ~
ing, giving the alarm, untll tle! "au ~ ~
help-d out themselves
MISS CRosMAN SEES PROPERTY BURN.
Ar the puests in the Burnet House, in Vine
81 inst across from the telephone building
v-erp called out Of their rooms. as were those al
The Gibson the Emery and Stag hotels, Whieh
were close TO the fire. Among the guests at the
I3yrnet House was Henrietta Crosman, whose
company was at the Pike Theatre TINS week
she was aroused with the others, and VII
,,essed the destruction of her scenery ana cos
.,,,nes The scenery and costumes useG by the
Pike stock company during the season Which
closed last Saturday night, valued al about
Sln.esl. were also lost
Among the largest losers were lne AhhellCdl %
Rock roTnpany $1,000; Robert Clarke q Co.
S.-y0Ns0 pike Building S41aeo: Seasongooc
Building, $1,000; Harrison Buliolhe SIe5oSS .s'y
jewellers $4,000; Richter & Phillips Jewellers
S-poept: Joffee, groeers. st3pto, anu strauss
wholesale cigar store. Sio.pv -,
Most Of those in the Pike Building We're WIN
out insurance. as the rate has recently peen
put at what they considered TOO high- Ihe III
surance in no case is large.
The pike Building totally destroyed by
fire IN 1866 and narrowly escaped total destruc'
tign last year.