Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-02-27
IMMENSE FIRE LOSSES
The Worst COnflagatiOn Cincinnati
Has Ever Experienced.
PIKE BLOCK Is GONE.
Grand Opera House Of That Name
and n Number Of Other Enter.
prises Utterly Destroyed
By the Flames.

CINCINNATI, FeD Zb.-ThlR city has
been visited with the most destructive
FIRE In rs history. Abaout 1880 O'Clock
this morning flames were discovered
IN the cellar Of George Jonee's grocery
in Pike building. on Fourth street. be.
tween Vine and Walnut.
Soon after the nre department play
ed on the building Il was thought the
flames were under control But an
hour later. however. there was an ex-
plosion. supposed 10 come from liquors
In storage and the flames soon after
wards shot mp 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. includ-
ing the Offices OF the United States Ex-
press company. Adams Express com
pany. Whites restaurant. owned by
Maynard Kerr. George Jofee's gro
cery. John b. Martins restaurant.
Empson's confectionery Henry Strauss
cigar store and the Offices Of Pike The
ater company on the first floor. Pixies
theater. auditorium and the green
rooms and other Offices on the second
floor and all Offices on the third. fourth
and NTH floors. The Seasongood build
ing. adjoining the Pike building on the
west. al the corner OF Vine and Fourth.
was badly damaged The building ad
Joining the pike building on the east.
owned by the l. B Harrison estate
and occupied by the Robert Clarke
company. publishers. and Duhme Bros.
| jewellers. on the first floor. and others
In the upper stories. we're totally de-
stroyed The Fosdick building on the
east. the Robert Clarke company and
Duhme Bros. and norfolk and Western
railroad Offices and others were badly
/ ramaged. while the Carlisle building.
occupied by the Southern Pacific rail-
way r. Smith a sons. Cincinnati
/ Trust company on the hrst floor and
very many Offices on the other ave
foors were slightly damaged.
The fire swept across the alley
known as Baker street and burned the
large publishing house OF the Ameri-
can Book company az the corner Of
Baker street and other property along
Baker street. including the large box
/ factory OF Zumblei a Co. the carpen-
ter shop OF Henry Behrens. and did
great damage 10 the Bell Telephone
company. so thar all telephones In the
city were cut OF for some time. The
/ a -. - ~. A -
caused great alarm.
All the guests In the Burnet House
on Vine street. just across the street
/ from the telephone building were call
ed out OF their rooms. also those al
/ Gibson. Emory and Stag hotels which
we're in close proximity 70 the hre
! The Kankakee building. which Is
diaeonally across the street from the
Seasongo0d building and the Pike
opera house. and occupied by the
Western Union Associated Press. Big
| -Four railroad and other Offices. were
threatened and all wires OF the West
| tern Union for hours were In dan
ger. but this location was spared by a
narrow escape There was scarcely
any wind blowing and this prevented
! the FIRE from spreading In any direc-
| ti0n except southwark 10 Baker street.
Not only the entire ere department
but also the police and other depart
ments were on hand. expecting n gem
eral catastrophe Mayor Fleislehman
was on scene About twenty people
had sleeping apartments IN Pike build
Ing. and there were reports az FIRST
that several lives had been lost. but
none of these reports have been con-
frmed. There were many narrow es-
capes.
Night Watchman John Agin and Mat
Garretson and Harry Richardson |
doorkeepers saved six lives by enter
ing the building and forcing their way
through smoke. Agin. Richardson and |
Garretson proceeded through the build. |
lng giving the alarm 90 all until they
had 10 be helped out OF the structure
themselves. Captain J. G. Grammar. |
head Of a detective bureau. who was
asleep IN his Office on the third floor
was awakened and escaped In his |
night clothes. He lost all records of
the Office and everything he had. Moth. |
Ing was saved from the upper floors. !
even from the rooms OF the theatre !
company Ah AutAf are over wv utlf /
fercnt losers Il Is impossible al this |
writing 10 estimate the total loss The |
hre was still burning at a m. with |
little prospect OF control In the terri. |
tory bounded by Vine Walnut, Fourth /
and Baker streets and the loss Is es-
tlmated AT over three millions John |
Keenan,. night watchman OF American ]
Book company was caught by falling /
walls and fatally Injured.
The Pike theatre building was total |
ly destroyed by FIRE In 1866 and Il |
narrowly escaped total destruction on |
March 80. 1909, when there was a Sun.
day matinee IN progress. but no lives 1
we're lost IN any fires. After ire last
year the interior of the Pike theatre
we're remodeled and the theatre re. /
decorated and returnlsAed al an eN.
pense OF several thousand dollars. over 4
1890 worth OF geld leaf alone being /