The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-24
SANTA STARTS
A COSTLY FIRE
Two Blocks in the Heart Of Sioux
City's Business District
Burned Over.
LOSS WILL REACH TWO
MILLIONS AND A HALF
George D. Brockway, a Car Re
pairer of the Great Northern,
Killed in Jumping. =

H Sioux City, Iowa, Dee. 24.--Sioux
CITY awoke the day before Christmas
with two Of it's best: business blocks in
ashes, causing" a loss which may reach
$4,000, 900, throwing hundreds OF Per-
one life. ...- .-. ,... .-- -~..-.s- ,-.. ss-,N
The fire originated at $40 O'CLOCK
last night in the basement OF the Pelle,
tier Dry Goods company at Fourth ana
Jackson streets, one Of the main cor
"A A section of the store had been fitted
up for Santa Claus and Ned Brown
was enacting the role for the enter
| tainment of customers. In striking "a
| match to light toy engine blaze was
communicated, to-. combustible maternal
ranged about and in an instant almost
/ the flames were leaping from one van
tage point to another.
A strong wind was blowing IRON the .e
west and the fire spread rapidly, finally
destroying two of the blocks1iln II the
street on the east, Pierce street on the
west, Fourth street on the north and q; !.
territory the, only buildings saved were
| the Northwestern National bank on
Fourth and Pierce streets and the Trlb-
une building on Pierce near Third.
But one life was lost. George D:
} Brockway, a car repairer for the Great
Northern, jumped from the fourth
!; story window in the: MASSACHUSETTS,
struck a wire and missed the net which
} was being held by the fremen:
: Leader and Pullman. All the guests
escaped in safety, however.
Omaha, Council Bluffs and. other
nearby cities were asked for AID ano
Z sent fire apparatus, but the fire was
under control when they arrived.
It was not until o'clock this morn
ing that the flames were safely unde1
control. The Western Union TELEGRAPH
company, whose entire plant was -. de
: stroyed, established a temporary onlct
ton, where It began handling it's bust
l ness at midnight.
Most of the property destroyed wa
reasonably well insured and the re6ulld
ing Of the. burned buildings will begi1
in most instances so soon as fire losse
are adjusted.
Many Large Buildings Burned.
= The burned buildings. include thre
a. banks, the Western Union Telegrap
y Office, the. Leader hotel, the. West,
!. large new structure; Higman & Skinner
:, = 4 WI ofesale boots and shoes; che Masss
Y chusettS building, occupied py seve .
T. Hardware company, the Pullman, hote
+ Johnston & Aronson, clothing and fur1
ishings; Orkin Brothers, ladies furnish
ings; George Conway, wholesale toba'
:. co and cigars, and the American E'
:, press company.
. Several families lived in the rear 9
n the building, but 50 far as known a
Il occupants escaped.
Telegraph Companies Crippled.
ell The next building destroyed was tl
a. Commercial block. In this structu'
e. were the City National bank, J.
1e Prugh, queensware;, Peavey & Mas Ia
e. furniture; Dow Clothing company, Ha
es sted & Halsuth, shoes; Baker Tailorir
= company, Waldo Hardware compar
n and the Western Union Telegraph cor
he The wires Of both the Postal az
no Western Union Telegraph compani
e, were in the path of the flames. IT
er. Postal company's office is not in tt