The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-03-05
CNg|NNAn'S BIG FRE.
Business Blocks in Heart Of City
Reduced to Ruins by Uncon-
trollable Flames.
LOSSES WILL AGGREGATE So, 600, 600.
Tire starts in Pike Building, and
Ftreme Apparently subdue III
lanes When an Explosion Cause
1T to Break Out with Terrible Fury
MANY Narrow Escapes.

Many Narrow Escapes.
Cincinnati, Feb. 27.-This, city was
visited with a fire Thursday that de-
stroyed one-half of a square in the
most central part and caused a loss of
over So, OOO,O 900. The burning embers
were carried for miles, the Kentucky
suburbs being covered with them.
The fire departments of Covington,
Newport and other Kentucky towns
came promptly to the assistance of the
local fremen and it was noon before
their combined efforts had the fire un-,
der control. Crews were at work all
the time on the roofs Of surrounding
buildings and a general conhagration
was narrowly ayerted. The under
ground system Of telegraph and tele-
phone wires not only prevented COM
munication from being cut off, but also
enabled the firemen to prevent the fire
from spreading as they could not have
done had all the wires still remained
on poles and buildings that formerly
surrounded the burned district.
1t was perhaps the greatest scarethe
city ever had as it was thought at one,
time that the entire business section
was. endangered and such would have
been the case if there had been brisk
winds.
Two Men Hurt.
Joseph Schaefer and John Keenan,
were seriously injured by falling walls,
1.kt l.a4l xrslJ ,onovor aA1tho11ph th4rp
are reports of persons being missing
is not thought that any lives were lost.
Capt. O'Keefe, with seven firemen, was
caught on the roof of one of the build
ings and all came lei perishing when
the flames broke out under them, but
they were rescued by ladders. The'fre
has wiped out some of the landmarks
of the city. All the buildings were
among the most substantial in the city
except possibly the large old Pike
building.
Details of Disaster.
Cincinnati, Feb. 27.-This city was
Thursday visited with the most de-
structive fire in. it's history. About
1880 in the morning flames were dis
covered in the cellar of George Joffee's
grocery in the Pike building on Fourth
street, between Vine and Walnut. Soon
after the fire department. had played
on the building it was thought thatthe
ames were under control. But anhour
later, however, there was an explosion,
supposed to come from liquors instor-
age, 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 build
ing was totally destroyed, including
the offices of the United States Express
company, the 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
the Pike Theater company, onthe third.
floor, the Pike theater auditorium
and green rooms and other Offices OF
the second floor and all of the offices
on the third, fourth and fifth floors.
Other Buildings Burned.
The seasongood building, adjoining
the Pike. building on the west at the
corner of Vine and Fourth, was badly
damaged.
The building, adjoining the Pike
building on the east, owned by the I:'
B. Harrison estate. and occupied by
the Robert Clarke company, publish
ers, and Duhme Bros, jewellers, on the
first floor and others in the upper
stories, was totally destroyed.
The Foddick building, east of the
Robert Clarke company and Duhme
Bros, and occupied by Norfolk &
Western railroad and others, was bad
" damaged, while the Carlisle building,
occupied by the Southern Pacific Rail
way company, and Smith & Sons. and
the Cincinnati Trust company. on the
first floor, and very many offices on the
other five floors, were slightly dam
aged.
Flames Leap Alley.
The fire swept across the alley
known as Baker street and buried the
large publishing house of the Ameri-
can Book company, at the corner of
Baker street, and other property along
Baker street, including the box fac
tory of Zumbiel & Co., the carpenter
shop of Henry Behrens, and did great
damage to the telephone building, SO
that all phones in the city were cut off
for some time.
Hotel Guests Forced to Flee.
The fire was in the.heart of the city
and caused great ALARM All the guests
in the Bu~rnet,house on Vine street, just
across the street from the telephone
building, were called out of their
rooms, as were those at the Gibson, the
Emery and the Stag hotels, which were
in close proximity of the fire.
The Kankakee building, which is d.
agonally across the street from the
seasongood building and Pike opera,
house andsis occupied. by the Western
Union, the Associated Press, the Big
Four and other offices, was threat
ened and all the wires of the Western
Union for hours were in danger, but
this location was spared after narrow
escape.
A Miraculous Escape.
~ 49,