The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-02-24
SUNDAY EPIDEMIC
OF COSTLY FIRES
Indianapolis Leads With a Loss Of
Million and a Half.
THREE HOTELS ARE INCLUDED
rh~ Rest of the Harmed Buiidinas
Housed Large whoirsai- 'os-
.crn--Tb. tnion static"
Was w-an~-d.

Indianapolis. Ind. Feb. 2o.-for fohi
hours sunday night the Wholesale dis
trlct, bounded by Georgia and Meridian
streets. Jackson place and the unlot
depot sheds, we're menaced By a frs
which started In the Wholesale ware
rooms Of the Fahnlcy a McCrea Nil
llnery Co.
At $3.50 O'Clock three alarms brought
nto action every IRE company In the
city and suburbs. when the fire wal
anally brought under control eight
buildings anon which were three
hotels. had been completely destroyed
causing a loss estimated at si.jOO.00o.
one fireman vas hurt by fallini
walls.
Flrcbfands fcll In a perfect storm
over the business portion Of the city
and on every building were stationed
companies Of men equipped with FIRE
apparatus. and their united EFFORT
succeeded In preventing a general con
%farration.
In tho 4. Kicfcr DRUG cos ware
rooms. whore many barrels ~ oils and
explosives were stored. and In the Del
mcts'h company Wholesale house
who're n large stock Of fireworks we're
located. several serious explosions oc.
airfod.
The wcst wall " the Fahnlcy & Me
Croa millinery house. which faces on
Jackson place. across from tho Union
.tatlon. Ten within thirty minutes after
he fro started. one fireman sustained
1 broken leg In the rush TO escape from
1 perilous position near tho falling
walls.
Hundreds ~ spectators who thronged
he space In front u the Union station
narrowly escaped death or serious IN.
Jury.
Within n few minutes the east wall
ELI across Meridian street. completely
~blockading trafic. but no one was In.
lufcd The flames. which spread across
Louisiana street, were communicated
70 the roof Of tho Union station train
sheds and for several minutes the II.
forts Of the nremen were conferred 10
that direction.
The FIRE. which was ono os the mos,
spectacular In the history ~ the city,
was under full Roadway before M
alarm WAS sounded. The first intima>
Ion % n nre was received when q
Waterman saw the windows on the Sec
md and third floors ~ the east front
u Fahnley 4 Mccrea's building burst
open. allowing sheets Of flame 10 IS.
are into Meridian street.
Simultaneously the flames broke on
In Jackson place. which bounds the
Fahnlcy q Mccrca building on The
west. Almost instantly the ilnmci
we're communicated 10 the 81. Nicholas
hotel. and the Grirths Brothers mil
llrory house. In Jackson place. and M,
Savoy hotel In Louisiana street.
The occupants ~ tho hotel. many Of
whom had not retired, escaped with
)ut Injury.
Repeated explosions In The burnint
'cc,lon sent skyward n veritable storm
y burning omhers, which. famed by q
siin breeze from the southeast. wor,
carried Into tho big retail district
where they Toll stlll burning. upon tho
'oofH 81 The principal business houses
within O. minutes several buildings
n the threatened district had been TO.
tally destroyed. and the attention oi
the fremcn was centcrcd In nm effort
10 prevent the spread ~ the flames "
the warerooms ~ W. H. Thompson a
Co. manufacturers u surgical lnstu
mcnts.