The St. Louis Republic., 1903-08-22
MATTRESS PLANT
MADE STUBBORN FIRE
Factory of the Evans-Smith Com
pany, on Broadway, Totally
Destroyed.
SCARE AT SOUTHERN HOTEL.
Attendants at Faust's Cafe Fought
Flames Caused by Flying
Sparks With Champagne
Buckets of Water.

Fire, which for a time seriously threat.
ened one of st. Louis's busiest manufactur.
ing districts, visited the four-story building
occupied by Evans Smith Bedding and Up.
holstery Company. Nos. 10-212-14 South
Broadway. last evening.
First Assistant Chief Thomas W. Rucker
of the st. Louis Fire Department places the
entire damage at $4,000.
Flames were discovered on the second
floor of the concern at 6:A5 o'clock by Oscar
Berty. an employe Of the Evans-Smith
Company, who was one of the few persons
In the building at the time. Berty was on
the first floor when he noticed the glare Of
the blaze reflected in windows across the
street, Running to the pavement he could
hear distinctly roaring, cracking sound.
moment later a tongue OF flame shot
from second-story window. and Berty
ran to fire alarm box at Broadway and
| Clark avenue. where the alarm was turned
| in.
Upon returning to the building Berty
| ousied himself. with several drivers, get
ting the horses out Of harms way
The flames, fed by excelsior and other
| highly infiammable substances used in the
manufacture Of mattresses on the second
floor Of the building, spread 30 quickly that
before the arrival Of the Fire Department
they had eaten their way through an ele-
vator shaft to the third and fourth floors.
FIREMEN FIGHT
SPREAD OF FLAMES
Before the first stream was directed on
the blaze it was apparent that the fire
would be STUBBORN one, and the DEPART
ment realizing the danger of the flames
spreading to a warehouse belonging to the
Meyer Bros Drug Company. situated on the
south. and also to the rear Of the burning
building, where much explosives, paints and
oils were housed, began to direct their
streams to Quenching fame against the
Meyer Bros. walls.
In spite of the fact that twelve or fifteen
streams were playing upon the flame It
seemed to burn all the more vigorously. and
soon the sparks began to ignite the roofs
OF the building of Epstein-Burenstein q
Co.. and several dwelling houses situated on
the north.
Fire Chief swingly arrived early upon the
scene and ordered several small streams
with quota OF f1remen to guard against
sieepins quarters for Faust.s employees on
Elm street, fremen with half a dozen lines
OF hose were dispatched.
About 7:30 one Of the floors weakened by
the flame and rendered soggy by the tons
of water which were beiny cast upon 1t, fell
with crash. and warned the hremen. who
from the front to the rear Of the building:
to vacate Several minutes later parts OF
inner walls began to crumble and fail.
FALLING WALLS CRUSH
ADJOINING BUILDING.
About 8 o'clock there was terrific crash. |
which was heard distinctly above the shout |
ing hremen. police and the crowd which. |
lingering from its daily occupations. had |
swooped down on the police, and took pos
session OF the surrounding streets.
The crash crash proves proved to be the entire rear
structure. @ eu used pgsu as u inishins h depsrtment
The debris carried much flame and soon the |
rear building was burning furiously. For
perched dpon the roofs Of adjoining build |
ings ow.ng to the intense heat. and thus
casualties were ayerted.
the rounds owing to report that in the
cellar Of the burning building several bar
rels Of naphtha were stored. which were
the flames reached them. The report was
verified by John NJ Campbell, secretary
9f the tSa 1hs tGa
under the sidewalk in front of the building.
and pains were taken to extinguish all fre
upon the first floor front and to deluge the
cellar with water
FIRE FOUGHT AT F. USTS
WITH CHAMPAGNE BUCKETS.
Sparks from an engine which was pump
Ing at the corner of Faust's cafe ignited
the curtains in the second-story dining hall
and gave the patrons scare. They nared
up quickly, but the walters organized
ire brigade, and with champagne buckets
ng the blaze. At o'clock First Assistant
Chief Rucker declared the fire virtually
The building, according to Secretary
Campbell Of the Evans s-Smfth Company, be-
ongs to Mayor Rolla Wells, or rather to the
estate Of the late Eastus Wells. father Of
nj ~ yn 4
Mr.. George D. Evans Of No. 5oT Morgan
street, president of the destroyed concern,
,rrived at the scene Of the fire late. He
If the value Of his stock. and could give no ,
estimate of how much insurance
vas carried. He explained that 1t was diffi-
,ult TO get insurance upon his stock and It |
had been left in the hands Of agents. who ,
lad distributed the insurance among vari-
Jus companies.
FIRE IS DISCOVERED
FROM SOUTHERN HOTEL
A. ]. Mitchell of the Meyer Bros Drug ]
company occupies apartments at the South
I'm Hotel which overlook the Evans-smith !.
building and the adjacent building of his !
,wn firm; Dressing for dinner he noticed /
'mokt arising across the way, and thinks
ng II was the drug establishment ablaze,
icsre iusrlsd out ont onto the street and urged po-
ABOUT the game moment Patrolman W.
Murphy. who was at Broadway and Wal
iue 6tiSct, uotiCeu SuOke arising from the
op of the building, and hurryinr to the
;, ,ox with r patrolman 1rI John Hoffman, turned
a. IN .baa 1dn,a ron pa .ne oox at that corner.
,e re-. and H. his companion hurried into the
,ouft tnat opens from Broadway to the
,enter of the building. They saw the place ,
.tlame from top to bottom with heap Of
'havings and horse bedding at the base
nent of the court also burning They at
,nce directed their attention to a stable in ]
which were confined four or five horses, and | {
he two patrOlmen succeeded IN Iondin0 4
hem out IL. safety. Two wagons in the
;ourt were also removed by them before {
he Fire Department arrived. ;
Mr.. Mitchell says that he left the drug i
twenty minutes before and
hat there was no indication Of fire at that !
lime.
DAMAGE TO ALOE STOCK
ESTIMATED AT 100000.
slase, which Started In Upper stories,
y |