Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-26
A GREAT FIRE
IN ROCHESTER,
Extent of Loss Not Known But it
Will Amount to Several
Million Dollars
OUTSIDE AID IS CALLED FOR.
Buffalo and Syracuse Both Sent En-.
glnes. Flames Had Got Beyond
Control of Local firemen.

Rochester, n. Y, Feb 2G.-The worst
conflagration in the history Of Roches-
ter broke out shortly before o'clock
this morning in the basement Of the
Rochester Drygoods company's store at
1916 Main street, The fire, according
to the night Waterman IN the store,
Thomas Connors, was discovered soon
after II started, but Il spread with
such rapidity that by the time an
alarm was turned in the entire front
OF the store Was mass Of iames. The
fire department responded promptly.
Assistant Chief Jaynes realized at once
the dangerous nature of the fire ard
turned in a general alarm by this
time the flames had spread to the build
ing occupied by the drygoods firm Of
Beadle n Sherburnc. Chief Little ar
rived on the scene promptly after the
general alrm was sounded. He real
lied that the flames were beyond the
control of the local department and APP
peais for more fire apparatus were sent
10 the chiefs of the Buffalo and SYRIA
cuse fire departments. Nearly five
hours later four steamers arrived from
Syracuse,
Within an hour after being dlscoy-
ered the fire had spread to the biz
granite building occupied by the firm
Of Sibley, Lindsay & Curr and by hun
drods Of business and professional
men.
The flames also spread to the build.
ings IN the rear Of the Granite block.
The extreme cold made fire lighting
difficult and hazardous, as the ladders
were coated with ice,
The only accident reported was the
injury of Assistant chief Frank a.
Jaynes, who was struck on the head
By a flying nozzle, The loss Is estimat-
ed at between four and five million dol
lars, most OF which fell on the Sibley,
Lindsay Il CUR company the Beadle g.
Sherburne company, the Rochester Dry
goods company, and the Walkoyer Shoe
company. The loss to the business Of
fees In the Granite building cannot be
estimated at this writing.
Several engines from the Buffalo fire
department arrived at II o'clock. At
that hour the fire was still burning
hercely. Chief Little believed that the
flames could be- Kept under control as |
there was no wind, The hremen used |
dynamite early but the use OF eX-
posIyes was soon abandoned
4 portion Of the Klely building occu-
pied by the Rochester Drygoods COM
pany fell. The front OF the building |
occupied by the Beadle & Sherburne |
also fell, carrying with 1t a
mass of burning timbers, brick and |
plaster Trolley wires broke and eight
firemen had narrow escapes from in
Jury. The fire area vas guarded by
lareg details Of police
FIRE STILL RAGING,
The great FIRE started in the heart Of
the business district Of this city carly
today ana IL still raging llercely, The
weather Is ideal for fighting fire, ms
there is scarcely any wind blowing.
Had there been even a moderately high
wind the fremen say nothing could
have prevented a repetition OF the Bal
Ilmore fire. As II Is the flremen are
battling under extreme difficulties, as
many water mains are frozen up. .
At o'clock Chief Little and Com
missioner OF Public Safety Gilman telo.
yraphed TO Buffalo and Syracuse for
assistance,
At 1910 the Syracuse fire fighters
arrived having been delayed on ac-
cunt OF the severe cold which is de-
aging traffic on all the railroads In this
part Of the state +
The chief Of the fire department at
,i5 said he believed the fire could be
;ept within the Main street block ex.
ending from 81, Paul TO North streets
lnless il crosses TO the south side Of
Main street, In this event a large part
4 the residence section would have
o 60
The fire Is reported to have started
n the basement Of the Rochester Dry