Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1903-02-26
Spread So Rapidly That Lives
We're Endangered.
LOSS IS ABOUT $s.ooo.ooo.

Adams Express Go Office Was In the
First Building Burned-American
Book Publishing Co Was Also Wiped
out-People Fled From Building in
Night Clothes.
Cincinnati, Feb 26.--This city was
to-day visited by the most destructive
fire In its history. About 80 O'clock
flames were discovered in the cellar of
George Joffee's grocery In the Pike
building on Fourth street, between
Vine and Walnut An hour later there
was an explosion, supposedly from lid-
uors In storage, and the flames soon
afterwards shot up through the roof Of
the six-story stone front building.
From that time on for several hours
the fire was beyond control The Pike
building was totally destroyed, includ-
Ing the Office of the United States Ex-
press Co, the Adams Express Co,
Whites restaurant, owned by Maynard
& Kerr, George Joffee's grocery, John
B. Martins restaurant, Empson's con-
fectionery, Henry Strauss cigar store.
and the offices OF the Pike Theater Co
on the first floor, the Pike theater an
4 ditorium and green rooms and other Of
i ices on the second door. and all OF the
Offices on the third, fourth ana firth
floors.
The Seasongood building, adjoinine
the Pike building on the west at the
corner Of Vine and Fourth streets, was
badly damaged.
The building adjoining the Pike
building on the east, owned by the II
3. Harrison estate and occupied by|
the Robert Clarke Co. publishers and
4 Duhme Bros jewelers., on the first
floor. and others in the upper stories,
was totally destroyed
i The Fosdick building, east OF the
Robert Clarke Go and Duhme Bros
and occupied by the Norfolk e west.
ern railroad and others. was baflIv
damaged, while the Carlisle BUILDING.
occupied by the Southern Pacific Rail-
road Co and Smith & Sons ana the
Cincinnati Trust Co on the first fIoor
and very many offices on the other ffve
floors, were damaged.
The front stone walls Of the pike
building and those of adjoining st111c.
lures, owned by Robert Clarke 81 ca,
and the Duhme Bros 1ewelry store.
and OF the Seasongood buildings with
stood the heat and did not fall The
rear walls of these structures, however,
which are of brick, gave way with the
falling floors
The fire swept across the alley
f.x
large publishing house of the American
Book Co at the corner OF Baker street
and other property along Baker street,
and did great damage to the telephone
; building so that all telephones In the
city were cut off for some time. All
the guests in the Burnet house ON Vine
street, just across from the telephone
building, were called out Of their
rooms, as were those at the Gibson,
: the Emery and Stag hotels, which were
l | in close proximity to the fire. Tilt
t Kankakee building. which Is diagonally
] across from the Seasongood building
land Pike opera house, and is occupied
) by the Western Union. the Associated
) Press, the Big -Four and other officek
. was threatened and all the wires OF
!. the Western Union for hours were In
danger, but escaped damage, though
: narrowly.
1t was not until after daylight thai
the fire was gotten under control and
the danger of a general condagration
was over.
As 1t is known that about 20 people
! sleep in the Pike building there were
: reports that several lives had been lost
: but none Of these reports have been
I confirmed.
There were many narrow escapes
Might Watchman John Agin and Mni
Garretson and Harry Richardson
s doorkeeper. saved six lives by entes.
t ing the building and forcing their way
q through the smoke and reScuing lodg'
I ers. rive men were asleep In a real
room of the Pike building when theJ
were rescued by having their dool
broken In. All escaped In their nigh
q clothes. Agin, Richardson and tar
Q lretson proceeded through the building
t giving the alarm to all until they haf
to be helped out of the structure them
selves.
Captain J. G. Glannan, head Of a de
> tective bureau, who was asleep on thu
third floor, was awakened and escaped
e in his night clothes. He lost all th'
= records Of his office. Nothing wa
saved from the upper floors.
AS four hundred different persons 9
concerns suffered losses, 1t Is imposed
z Bile at present to estimate the tota
8 loss. The fire was still burning at
a. m. with little prospect OF control 4
I the territory bounded by Vine, Walnut
Fourth and Baker streets, and the los
was then estimated at over $3.000,00t
John Keenan,. night watchman OF tn
American Book Go. was caught under
meath the falling. walls and fatally IN
jured.
k