Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-24
Hundreds of People Thrown 0ut
Of Employment and Que
Life Lost.
LOSS WILL Be $780, 900.
Three Hotels Burned -- All the Guests
Escaped Hard to Keep Fire
Under Control

Sioux city, Iowa, Dec 24.-SlouN city
awoke today with two Of It's best BUSH
ness blocks in ashes, causing loss that
may reach two millions and q half,
throwing hundreds Of people out Of em-
ployment and entalllng the loss OF at
least one life.
The fire had originated in the base
ment Of the Pelletier Dry Goods CONF
pany at Fourth and Jackson streets,
one Of the main corners OF the city a
strong wind was blowing from the west
and the hre soon spread from the Mas
saohusetts building to the Toy building
across jackson street a seven story
structure, and then leaped across
Fourth street TO the Metropolitan
block, which also was seyen-story
building. This building was only part
" destroyed, but the Toy block and its
annex ON the east were entirely burned
The Massachusetts, building, In which
the Pelletler Dry Goods company was
located. was soon destroyed and the
FIRE swept toward the west finally wip-
ing out two of the blockf In. me CEN
ter OF the city between Jackson streets
on the east Pierce street on the west.
Fourth street on the north ana Third
street on the south Within this ter
rltory the only buildings saved were the
Northwestern National bank, on
Fourth and Pierce streets, and the
Tribune building on Pierce near Third.
Many times the flames leaped across
Fourth street and plate glass windows
and stocks were damaged In other large
stores M
Leader and Pullman. All the guests es-
caped IN safety. The man who was
killed jumped from the fourth story
window in the Massachusetts, build
ing lie struck a wire and missed the
net held by the fremen. Nobody has
been able to Identify him. There were
no other serious casualties.
For several hours II was believed me
whole business section OF the city would
be burned. Omaha, Council BUNS ana
other nearby cities sent fire apparatus
but the fire was under control when
they arrived,
The flames we're finally checked at
Pierce street, after Seller Brothers,
wholesale nquor establishment had
been destroyed,
The Tribune building, across from
the Seller building, was on fire several
times. and Davidson's big department
store was saved only By great effort.
An OF It's plate glass windows on Pierce
street side were broken by the heat II
was not until o'clock this morning
that the flames we're safely under con-
troll. The Western Union Telegraph
company whose entire plant was de-
stroyed. established a temporary Office
al the Chicago & Northwestern depot,
where II began handling It's business at
midnight. Today new equipment ana
telegraph apparatus arrived from Oma-
Ia and other cities, and viii be Installed
al once In a temporary location,
The Postal company's loss was less
serious and II had us wires In working
order early IN the day.
Most Of the property destroyed was
req sonably well insured and the re-
building OF the burned buildings VIII
begin I'm most instances as soon as fire
losses are adjusted.
The following additional detailed
losses are reported today: Seller Broth
ers. liduor dealers, loss $4,000; insur-
ance $3.50
other losses Hlgman, Skinner & Co,
boots and shoes. loss $4,000 Weld
Hardware Co.. $4,000. Davidson Bros
$40, 000 Jonathan w Brown. Bolton
block. $4,000. Commercial block, 500.
900. Brown Block company, buildnt
,3l. O00 James Boutwell,, building, $685.
OOo. John Arenson Clothing Co.. stock
ss2. 600 Gelete Hardware Co., $4,000.
Massachusetts Realty company, Massa-
chusetts building, 100000.