The Indianapolis journal., 1903-04-27
Stores Destroyed and Stocks Ruined,
and One Fire Captain Caught and
Cremated in the Flames.
RESCUE OF A SOUND SLEEPER
ESCAPE FROM FOURTH FLOOR IN
UNDERCLOTHES AND DERBY.
Many Exciting Incfdents-Fire Seem
struction Was Barely Averted.

Clothing Company buildings, at High and
Long streets, and several smaller struc-
lures, and damaged the Nicholas block. en-
failing an aggregate loss of about 100000
Daniel Lewis, captain of engine company
No. IL, was caught under falling wall
and instantly killed. His body was Gre
mated in the ruins.
The fire was attended by many exciting
incidents, the most thrilling being the res
cue of Philip Nation, a grocer, from his
apartments on the fourth floor of the Brun-
son building where he had been hemmed
in by the flames
The fire started in the Brunson building,
on the west side Of High street. just north
of Long, and its progress was southwark,
the flames being famed by brisk wind
from the north. The Brunson building was
occupied on the ground floor by the Walk
over Shoe Company, Tallmadge Hardware
Company and Bott Bros saloon. The up
per floors were occupied mainly living
apartments, the exceptions being the w. c.
T. U. rest room and the art studios of Maui
rice Hague and K. p. Hayden.
Smoke was first seen issuing from the
basement under Bott Bros. saloon about
2:9O o'clock. The fire smouldered for half
it about under control, when the flames
suddenly burst out on an upper floor and
began to make rapid headway.
South of the Brunson was a narrow two
story building occupied by Munsey & Co.'S
barber shop and a gentlemen's furnish
ings store. with the Union Clothing Com
pany building, ffve-story brick with stone
front, occupying the corner. The Court
right building. occupied by Bott Brothers
billiard and pool manufacturing establish
ment. was Immediately back of the Union.
on Long street, and was connected with
the Brunson. The Whatshire, a small
hotel, occupied the corner at Long and
Wall streets.
The flames, after cutting the Brunson,
spread to the buildings south. The Union
was destroyed and the Courtright and
whatshire buildings gutted. When the
flames got under headway in the Union,
with it's five floors stocked with clothing,
it became a veritable furnace, the heat
cracking plate glass windows across the
street.
The Sheldon Dry Goods Company, on the
opposite corner south, was endangered, the
building being several times on fire, but
was saved without wetting the stock, the
only damage, IL any, to the latter being
caused by smoke. Streams of water were
poured over the burning ruins of the Brun-
son and Union buildings until long after
The north wall of the Brunson fell on
the rear part of the storeroom occupied by
Lynas Brothers. wholesale grocers. in the
Mithon building, wrecking it and causing
great damage TO the stock.
The fire in the Nicholas building on the
next block south started In the basement
| of Kirby & Co.'S lO-cent store. Flaming
embers were showered on all the buildings
| to the SOUTH and it is supposed one of
these fell through a grating In the rear of
the store into the basement. This fire
smoldered for many hours. the flames being
| practically confined to Kirby & Co.'S store.
| The damage to the adjoining stores was
| caused chiefly by smoke and water.
One of the most thrilling features of the
| fire was the rescue of Philip 8. Nation, a
| lodger from a room enveloped in flames
| on the fourth floor of the Brunson build
| ing. 1t was supposed all the occupants of
| the building had been got out, but Mr.. Ma
| ton, it appears. was overlooked. The
| water tower was playing a stream into the
ure of a man in underclothes suddenly ap-
| peared at window on the fourth floor,
| raised the sash and waved his hand. A
| shout of horror went UP from the crowd,
| firemen, however, quickly started to raise
| an extension ladder. Several times the
| man ran back into the room and returned
with an armful of clothes which he threw
to the street. Just as the top of the ladder
| touched the window sill he appeared wear
| ing a derby hat and before the firemen
l
| When he reached the ground he was in a
state of collapse. Nation is North Side
| grocer.
| Capt. Daniel Lewis. of engine company
| No. IL, who was killed, was caught by a
| falling wall while carrying a hose into the
| Palace barber shop. Two companions had
| just emerged from the building and Chief
| Lauer called to Lewis, but too late. His
body is supposed to have been cremated In
| the ruins.
The principal losers: Brunson block
| re- IN
| co., Union block-Daniei Thomas, $4,000
insurance. $4,000. Munsey building-J. S.
Bull, $500; insurance. $1,000 Courtright
| block-Fleetwood Courtright, SIS. 900; insur-
| ance, $4,000. Mithoff block-E. T. Mithoff
| $780, fully insured. Nicholas block-E. T.
| Mithoff, 5000, fully insured Whatshire
| block-Mrs. William Scringer. 5000, insur-
| ance $1,000; Union Clothing Company $685.
| Co., insurance s65, 900; Bott Brothers bill
lard supplies and saloon. $4,000, insur-
ance, S35 800; Tallmadge Hardware Com
! pany, $4,000, insurance $4,000; Munsey &
Co., barber shop and mems furnishings
| $500; Lynas Brothers, wholesale grocers
| $4,000. fully insured: Waikover Shoe Com
pany, 5000, fully insured; Kirby e. Co.
notions. $4,000. fully insured; Franklin Um-
| brella Company, $1,000, fully insured; Co.
| lumbus Cloak Company, $780, fully in
| sured; F. w. Wallis, optician, So 3,5O0 insur-
| ance s.. 500; Maurice Hague, art studio. S3-
| 500, insurance $500; Judge l.. d. Hagerty
private apartments. 5000. insurance S2,WO
| William Bott, private apartments, $1,000
| insurance SLIGO; +. c. Fineran, shoe mer-
chant, $4,000, fully insured; Lodge saloon
| $3.50, insurance $500: E. p. Hayden, art
1 r,rdi