The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-27
Ten Engines Still Pour Streams of Water Into the
 SmOu|dsring Ruins
THE ENTIRE SHOPPING
 DISTRICT IS DESTROYED
Bremen Are Unable to Cope With the Flames and Call Upon Buffalo and Syracuse for
 Assistance.

Rochester, N. r.. February 26.-The sun set tonight with ten engines pouring streams of water on the ruins of what was rractically the retail dry goods district of this city. For three out of the five largest department stores were consumed in todays disastrous fire. one Of which the Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Co. was by Tar the largest establishment of this kind In the city and the oldest.
 Insurance men place the loss at SS, 000,- coo Of this amount S750000 represents the loss on buildings and the remainder the loss on stocks of goods and to occupants Of offices. It Is estimated that 250O pee pe are thrown out of work temporarily tt least because of the fire.
 What Burned Districts Includes. The burned district lies on the north side of Main street, between St. Paul street and Clinton avenue, north, running from St. Paul street almost the entire length of the block The fire started in the store of the Rochester Drygoods com rany and worked west, taking but one store east of this establishment that Of the Walkover Shoe company before it's progress was checked in this direc- tion.
 The next building west was the store cf the Beadle, Shurburne company, which was destroyed. then the marble block oc- cupied by the Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Co. was destroyed and finally the thirteen story granite building, the lower rart of which was also occupied by the Sibley, Lindsay &. Cur Co. and the upper part by offices.
 Front Wall Left Standing.
 Only the front wall of the marble build ing is left standing tonight The shell of the granite building Is intact and the floors are in place, but the building was gutted.
 The Sihley, Lindsay & Curr companys s six-story wholesale building, together with the stables in the rear, was de- stroyed with all it's valuable contents, this loss being placed at $1. 450000. There were no casulties and no one was in- jured except Chief Frank A. James, who was struck by a flying nozzle and re- ceived some bruises.
 Estimate of Losses.
 Former Comptroller James Johnston summarized the loss and the insurance to buildings as follows;
 Granite building, $S00,000; insurance. sl75,O0O.
 Buell. building, occupied by the Sibley. Lindsay & Curr company, loss s75,00O in- surance s6O0O0.
 Cornwall building occupied by Beadle & Sherburn company, $75,0Oo; insurance, s6O000.
 Kirley building, occupied by the Roch- ester Dry Goods company, $S5,000; in- surance, $20,000.
 Walkover & Co, $SOOOo; insurance, s5ooo. Sbley Lindsay & Curr Co.,, building destroyed; insurance, $250,0OO.
 Stock Losses and Insurance.
 Sibley, Lindsay & Curr company. retail stocks. S350.OOO; insurance. $300,OO0.
 Sibley, Lindsay & Curr copany whole sale stocks, s1,2oO,oOO; insurance. s1,0OO,O0O.
 Losses to Tenants.
 Granite building, s2OO,O0O; insurance s10O,- 0OO.
 Buell. building, s25,OO0; insurance, $20,OO0. Krley building, s25,OO0; insurance, $20,0o0. Walkover building, $15,000; insurance, s12,OOO.
 Gibbons & Stone company. insurance $15,0O0 partial loss.
 Loss in stock of Beadle & Sharburne company. $350,OO insurance. $250.000.
 Loss in stock of Rochester Dry Goods company, s150,000; insurance. $125,000.
 This afternoon the firemen had the fire apparently under complete control.
 Spread Very Rapidly.
 The fire, according to the night watch
 n in the store, Thomas O Connors, was discovered soon after 1t started, but it spread with such rapidity that by the time an alarm was turned in the entire front of the sore was in flames.
 The fire department responded promptly. Assistant Chief James realized at once the dangerous nature of the fire and turn ed in a general alarm. By this time the flames had spread to the building occu- pied by the dry goods firm of Beadley & Sherburn company.
 Chief Little arrived shortly after the general alarm was sounded. He realized that the flames were beyond the control of +ba Iar artr ,orta nd 1od fo ofh CT fire departments. Telegrams were sent to the chiefs of Buffalo and Syracuse de- partments. Later steamers arrived from Syracuse and Buffalo
 Within an hour after being discovered the fire had spread to the big granite building occupied by the Sibley, Lindsay and Curr company and by hundreds of business and professional men. Flames also spread to the Building in the rear of the granite block The extreme cold made fire fighting difficult and hazardous as the ladders were coated with ice.
 Buildings Fall With Crash. portion of the Kirley building, oc- cupied by the Rochester Dry Goods com rany fell The front of the building oc- cupied by the Beadley & Sherburn com pany also fell into the street with dull roar, carrying with 1t a mass of burn ing timbers. bricks and plaster. Trolley wires broke and eight frement had nar- row escapes from Injury. The fire zone was guarded by large details of police mem
 The fire started so early in the morning that very few people were on the street, hut by 6 o'clock there were thousands crowding the scene of the disaster. Tine explosions of dynamite used to check the spread of the flames were supplemented by the thunder of falling walls. Mayor Cutler and Commissioner of Public Safety Gilman were on the scene shortly after the fire was discovered.
 How It Started.
 The fire Is reported to have started in the basement of the Rochester Dry Goods company at 4:30 o'clock. A fuse connect ed with the electric motor that runs the elevator blew out and the next moment flames were rushing up the elevator we'll. h . few minutes the building wss In