The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-18
Valuable Horse Drops Dead While
GalIoping 10 the Fire, Putting No.
Company Out OF Action.

A fire broke out in the cellar Of the VIII
liam III. Armstrong Company, in the build
ing at Nos. 224-226 South Meridian street.
about 1910 this morning. and. owing 10 the
peculiar location of the flames. the loss. II
is said, will reach about $4,000.
Before the fire was reported TO the fire de-
partment the basement OF the building was
a roaring furnace and the entire structure
from top 10 bottom was filled with smoke
so dense that ii was impossible to get into
the cellar TO properly fight the flames. For
time it looked as If the whole building
would be burned on account Of a draught
which was caused from the cellar 20 the
top OF the building through the elevator
shaft, but the prompt action OF the fire de-
partment checked the blaze and held IL TO
the place where it first started. in the cell
lar.
The W. II. Armstrong Company carries
about $4,000 worth of stock of surgical in
struments and supplies. fully covered by in
surance. The loss from water. smoke and
flames, il is claimed. will amount 10 about
$4,000.
The fire was discovered by the merchant
policeman who patrols the locality OF the
building occupied by the Armstrong Com
pany, and he turned in the alarm. but by
the time the fire department. arrived on
the scene the smoke was so thick that il
was impossible to get line OF hose into
the cellar. where the main blaze seemed 10
be located. After a complete draught had
been made through the building and sart
of the srnol1e was turned outside some cf
the daring fire laddies crawled down into
the cellar and managed to get a stream
OF water onto the flames
The salvage corps. under the direction
of Captain Neumann. looked after the COW
ering up Of loose stock and property in
side the burning building and saved many
dollars for the firm who was the victim
of the blaze.
Shortly after the first alarm was turned in
the conditions surrounding the ire seemed
desperate on account of the density OF the
smoke. Fire fighting was a hard PROPOSE
ton, and for fear that a hard fight might
be before them. second alarm was turned
smoke eaters" before they had the blaze
in the South Meridian-street building under
visible either outside of the building or in.
Nothing but great clouds OF black smoke.
which curled and twisted out OF every win
dow and door in the building could be seen
from the street. and inside the building the
smoke heavy that nothing could be-
seen at all except a great bank OF black
VapOr which blinded the eyes. breathing
was almost out of the question.
The fire was caused by an over
heated furnace which set fire TO the
packing around the pipes and from there
was communicated to other infammable
material Gradually the entire basement
was seething mass Of glowing embers, but
no blaze Of any size was apparent The
damage to the building from fire will be
considerable, and the smoke and water
damage will amount to about $1,000. The
entire stock of the surgical supply house Is
a complete loss, barring small salvage.
During the confusion of smoke and water
the supports 10 the entire rear part OF the
first floor gave way and with clatter and
a bang the stock on the shelves or the sales
room fell in a confused heap into the base
ment, where the ruin was completed by the
several feet of water which had been poured
into the cellar from the firemens hose.