The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-20
BIG BUILDINGS IN RUINS
Local Department Is Unable to
Cope with the Fire and Buf-
falo Sends Aid.
ONE MAN is MISSING
Fire Chief Jumps from the Sixth
Story and Marvelously Es-
capes Death.

business district last night and this morn
ing. causing a loss of fully slooco.ooa.
At s:15 O'Clock this morning the fire was
still burning fcrcely in the two blocks
bounded by Wellington street on the north.
the water front on the south. by Young
street on the west, and on the East by Bay
street. Firemen have arrived from Lon
don, Hamilton and Buffalo. The acting
fire chief said at 3 O'Clock the fire
was practically under control. but there
is still danger of its spreading further to
the west.
The fire started in a factory on Wclling-
ton street about o'clock. In less than an
hour the flames had spread to buildings on
both sides of the street until the whole
block was a mass of flames and the fire
beyond control of the local department.
Appeals were sent TO every surrounding city
where fire apparatus could be obtained.
asking for assistance. Montreal. London.
Hamilton and Buffalo at once responded.
but it was hours before they rendered
assistance.
1t was believed at II o'clock last night
that the fire was under control. but a
sudden shift in the wind again famed the
flames into roar and clouds of sparks and
burning brands were carried down side
streets until thEee entire blocks were
doomed. The fremen were making gall
liant fight amid the falling buildings and
mass of tangled wires, but their efforts
at midnight seemed to be fruitless.
Chief Thompson. of the fire department.
off by the flames while directing the work
of firemen from roof. Thompson jumped
six stories to the ground and escaped with
broken leg. A mass of tangled wires
broke his fail near the ground. Dowkes
hes not been seen since and it is believed
he perished.
BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
Up to midnight the following places had
been destroyed: Gillespie. Ansley & Co..
hats and furs; Digman & Moneypenny. inn
porters: Comfort soap works: Davis & Hen
derson, wholesale stationers; Jessop Steel
Companys building. occupied by r. IL.
hutchinson & Co, wholesale woolens; AL
colt. Sargent & westwood. fishing tackle;
Dodds Medicine Company, Western Steam
ship Company. Richard l.. Baker Company.
agents; E. T. Corset Company, &. III. West
wood & Co, fishing tackle; Garland Manu-
featuring Company, +. H. cragg. agent
Rothschild Bros. & Co.. manufacturers; c.
W. Bangard & Co, brokers': Richie & Ram
sey Company, paper manufacturers: Thom-
as Hoskins, manufacturers agent: Kin
leith Paper Company. Andrew Muirhead.
wholesale paints; E. w. Gilmour & Bro.
silverware; w. II. Payne & Co., commission
agents; r. NJ Slater & Co.. wholesale dry
goods; International Brokers. Limited. Gale
Manufacturing Company. Whiteman &
Brown Bros, wholesale stationers; Ralph
Smith & Co, photographers; George III.
Hess. Son & Co.. window shades: Menzies
Manufacturing Company. window shades;
II. +. Sharp & Co, photograph supplies:
Grove Hotel Office Speciality Company.
The Evening Telegram office and Brock a
Co.'S warehouse were badly damaged
SPREAD RAPIDLY.
From the Currie warehouse on Welling-
ton street, where it originated. the hrs
spread with astounding rapidity to the
west destroying the buildings occupied by
the Echkart Casket Company and War
wick Brothers & Rutter and w j. Gage
a. Co, and then made a clean sweep up
Wellington street to the Queens Hotel
The thick walls of the hotel and the con-
ccntrated efforts OF the fire fighters stop
ped the flames there. but in the meantime
the fire had swept across the street aud
the block OF buildings from Bay street
west TO the National Club was wiped out
AT that time the firemen believed that the
fire was under control. but shift Tn the
wind sent the flames roaring down Bay
street destroying every building on both
sides of the street from the National Club
TO Front street. The principal buildings
burned on Bay street were those Of wyld &
Darling, westwood Co. Gayle. Bond &
Co. Askborn & Sherwin. Ainsley & Co.
w. III. Brock * Co, Gordon. Mackey & Co..
PugsIey. Kinglnan & Co, Charles cockshut
Co. and Brown Bros Were destroyed
Nothing could resist the force OF the
flames as they swept down Bay street DO,
wards the lake and the fircmen fought back
the fire from side streets. confining tho
fire zone to the one thoroughfare. wherever
possible.
Several frame buildings. which threatened
TO cause "a spread of the nre. were blown
up with dynamite
AT $50 O'Clock this morning Bay street
was on fire from Wellington street down to
the lake front. but the -firemen were meet
ing with success in their efforts 10 prevent
further spresru- sts4@
Help fren uuRano.
BUFFALO. N. Y. Apsl is.-Two drs
engines and twenty hremep left here AZ II