The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-27
FIRE LOSS OF 100000
IN ROCHESTER'S RETAIL
DRY GOODS DISTRICT
Burned Section Is on Main Street
and Covers Almost an En-
tire Block.
ONE FIREMAN INJURED
About $500 Employees of Depart
ment Stores Thrown Out of
Work by the Fire.

ROCHESTER, n. Y, Feb. 26-The sun
set tonight with ten engines pouring
streams of water on the ruins of what
was practically the retail dry goods dis
trict of this city, for three out of the
five department stores were destroyed in
the disastrous fire to-day. One Of the
stores. the Sibley. Lindsay & Curr Com
pany, was by far the largest establishment
of this kind in the city, and the oldest. In
surance men place the loss at ss.OoO,OOO. OF
this amount s75O,OOO represents the loss on
buildings and the remainder the loss on
stocks of goods and to occupants of offices.
1t is estimated that $500 people are thrown
out of work, temporarily, at least, because
of the fire.
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 Roches-
ter Dry Goods Company and worked west.
taking but store east of this establish
ment, that OF the Walkover Shoe Company,
before its progress was checked in that di-
rection. The next building west was the
store of the Beadle-Sherburne Company.
which was destroyed: then the Marble
block, occupied by the Sbley, Lindsay q
Curr Company, also destroyed, and finally
the thirteen-story granite building, the low
er part of which was also occupied by the
Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Company. and upper
part by offices. Only the front wall of the
Marble building Is standing tonight The
shell of the Granite building is intact and
the floors are in place, but the building was
gutted.
a ind o
six-story wholesale building, together with
the stables, In the rear, was DESTROYED, with
all Its valuable contents, this loss being
There were no casualties and no one was
injured, except Assistant Chief Frank A.
James. who was struck by flying nozzle
and received some bruises.
The power on the trolley lines running
along Main street was cut off to avoid dan
ger from electricity and no cars have run
through the block where the fire occurred
all day. All other traffic has also been
until Monday.
Following are the losses: Granite build
ing, SS0O0 00O; Marble building, $4,000: Buell.
estate, $4,000; Cornwell building SEQ 900:
Kirley building, $4,000; Walkover Shoe
Company, $1,000; Sibley, Lindsay & Curr
The loss on stock was as follows: Sibley.
Lindsay q Curr Company, retail, $3.50 900,
wholesale, 81. 10000; tenants in Granite
building. 100000 Readle & Sherbourne Com
pany $35O,000 Rochester Dry Goods Com
pany, $4,000. The smaller losses foot up
to $4,000. w
The fire was discovered by the night
Waterman in the employ of the Rochester
Dry Goods Company. 1t was first seen 4
4:5O O'Clock and the watchman saws in
started from a fuse which bleU ONT IN the
electric elevator connections Almost stimuli
taneously an explosion occurred i'm the
basement of Beadle & Sherbourne's next
door. Smoke and flames poured through
the elevator grating in the sidewalk and i'm
an incredibly short time the buildings were
a mass of flames. The fire department did
good work, but the apparatus was made
quate and requests for assistance were
sent to Buffalo and Syracuse Each citv
responded, sending two engines and men to
man them. ~ ~