Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-12-30
SIOUX CITY IS
SWEPT BY FIRE
Eats Two Blocks Out OF
Heart Of the Business
Section
TAKES FINEST BLOCKS IN CITY
Loss viii Run From 81, 100000 to
$4,000, BODYBUILDING Which We're
Burned Were Centers Of the Bust
ness Life Of the City.

Sioux City, Dec. 24.-Two soil
blocks out of the heart Of the bus
ness section of Sioux City were con
pletely destroyed by fire last nigh
The loss will approximate between 81
500, 900 and 100000 and marks tn
greatest conflagration in the city
nalf century of existence.
Buildings which were erected during
the old boom days, worthy to hav'
graced cities of twice the size, sucl
as the Toy bank building and thu
Massachusetts block. and about Whlcf
the business life of the city cenered
were laid in ashes, and the whole vita
business life Of the city was struch
q crushing blow.
The fire started at 500 p. NJ, IN
the basement of the store OF the Pei
letter Dry Goods company in the
Massachusetts block, at the corner OF
Fourth and Jackson streets. win
this as starting point practically the
whole two blocks between Third and
Fourth and Jackson and Pierce streets
were destroyed. Only one or two
buildings, among them that occupied
BY the Sioux City Tribune, were left
standing amid the ruin wrought by
the flames.
From the Massachusetts block the
fire Jumped east across Jackson street
to the Toy bank building, seven
story Office structure, built OF solid
granite, which was also destroyed.
The T. S. Martin Dry Goods com.
pany's store, to the north of the fire.
swept blocks, took fire, but the flames
were finally extinguished, although
considerable damage was suffered by
water.
The fire stopped at the corner Of
Fourth and Pierce streets. just before
it reached the Davidson Bros. dry
goods store, the largest of the kind IN
Sioux City. The fire was under con.
troi by II o'd Sex.
The Omaha department was sent for
but arrived 700 late to be Of service.
Grotesque ruins and blackened
fragments are all that remains OF
Sioux Cit!'s choicest business sec
ton. The path of destruction OF the
flames defies description.
Fighting grimly against the flames
which drove them back yard by yard,
the Sioux CitJ firemen struggled des-
perately against the blaze which
threatened the safety Of their city.
The street car system, which
passed through the heart Of the
burned district, will be crippled until
the debris can be removed from the
tract 5 and the wires repaired.
Following Is partial list Of the
losses:
Pelleter Dry Goods company, $24O,-
600; insurance, 500 600.
Orkin Bros, furnishings, loss $751;
600; insurance, $500.
J. K. Prugh & Co, eueensware, loss,
$50 600; insurance, So, 600.
R. R. Purslow, West hotel and other
$4,000; insurtnce. 100000.
J. W. Brown. Commercial block,
$40 1000; insurance half
Schulein estate, loss, 100000; insur.
snce. $4,000.
Northwestern National bank, loss,
S. 900: covered .
Fagley & Co., clothing. loss. 5000;
covered.
Paul Leader, hotel, loss, $4,000;
insurance, $4,000.
George NJ. Conway, wholesale to-
baeconist, loss, $4,000; insurance
s45 600.
State Bank Building company, Toy
building, loss, $4,000; insurance not
known.
Martin Bros. department store, loss,
5000; covered.
Davidson Bros, department store,
loss, 10000; covered.
Magner G. Walsh, saloon, loss, $751;
900; insurance, $4,000.