The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-02-27
ROCHESTER BLAZE
Center of BrSi-eSS> Sec.
ton Destroyed.
LOSS PUT AT FOUR MILLIONS
largest Department Stores In the
City Consumed.
HELP FROM BUFFALOAND SYRACUSE

Fire Started From the Blowing Out
of a Fuze In the Electric Elevator
Connection In the Basement of the
Rochester Dry Goods Company.
Fire Department Was Inadequate.
ROCHESTER,, n. Y. Feb. 27.-The
sun set last night with ten engines
pouring streams Of water on the ruins
of what was practically the retail dry
goods district Of this city, for three out
of the five department stores were con-
sumed i'm the disastrous fire, one of
which, the Sibley, Lindsay q Curr
company, was by far the largest estab-
lishment of this kind in the city and
the oldest.
Insurance men are still figuring on
the loss, which they now place at ST.
100000. OF this amount $750,000 repre-
, sents the loss on buildings and the bal
ance the loss on stocks of goods and to
occupants of offices. In addition it is
estimated that $500 people are thrown
out Of work temporarily at least be-
cause of the fire.
The burned district lies on the north
side of Main street, between st. Paul
street and Clinton avenue, north, run
ming from st. Paul street almost the
entire length of the block The fire
started on the eastern end of the block
in the store of the Rochester Dry
Goods company and worked west, tax
ing but one store east of this establish
ment, that of the WaIkover Shoe com
pany, before its progress was checked
in that direction. Next west was the
store Of the Beadle- Sherburne compa-
n.y. which was destroyed; then the mar
BILE block occupied by the Sibley, Lind
say & Curr company also destroyed,
and finally the thirteen story granite
building, the lower part of which was
occupied by the Sibley. Lindsay & Curr
company and the upper part by offices.
Only the front wall of the marble
building is standing The shell of the
granite building Is intact, and the
floors are in place, but the building
was Quilted
Next west of Sibley, Lindsay n Curr
Co. with st Paul street running be-
tween, is the department store Of
Burke. Fitzsmmons, Hone & Co. That
building was saved by hard work. the
only damage being from window glass
broken by the heat and water leaking
into the storeroom On st. Paul street
in the rear of the Slbley. Lindsay X
Curr Co. stood a six story building, Oc-
cupied by the wholesale department Of
the Slbley, Lindsay 4 Curr Co, which
was destroyed with all its valuable con
tents. the loss on this building and
contents alone being placed at S1.450.-
600. The stables Of the Sibley, Lind
say Il Curr Co were also burned.
The flames ate their way into the
rear Of the granite building from the
marble building and then followed a
foot bridge across into the wholesale
building
There were no casualties and no one
was injured. with the exception that
Assistant Chief Frank a. Jaynes was
struck by a flying nozzle and received
some bruises.
The power ON the trolley line running
along Main street was cut Off to avoid
danger from electricity, and no cars
were run through the block where the
fire occurred all day
The fire was discovered by the night
Waterman in the employ of the ROches-
ter Dry Goods Company. 1t was first
seen al 80 a. m, and the Waterman
says II started from fuse which blew
ont in the electric elevator connection.
II started i'm the basement. Almost ST.
multaneously an explosion occurred ia
the basement of Beadle n Sherburue's,
next door Smoke ard flames poured
through the elevator in the sidewalk.
and in an incredibly short time the
buildings were mass Of flame.
The fire department did excellent
work, but the apparatus was made
quate, and requests for assistance We're
sent tn Buffalo and Syracuse. Each
city responded, sending two engines
and men Ia mau them.
The gas company has been unable TO
locate the gates in the mains. and gas
is pouring into the ruins