Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-20
INDIANAPOLIS HAS
A LAGRAT|ON
FLAMES SWEEP BUSINESS DIS
TRICT
Fire Menaces Grand Hotel and Union
Depot-General Alarm Brings
Entire Department Into
Action
BY Associated Press.

| BY Associated Press.
| INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Feb. 19.-For
four hours tonight the wholesale dis
trict bounded by Georgia and Meridian
streets, Jackson place and the union
depot sheds, were menaced by fire
which started in the wholesale ware
rooms of the Fahnley and McCrea mil
linery company.
At 9:9O o'clock three general alarms
brought into action every department
in the city and suburbs.
| When the fire was brought under
control eight buildings, among which
were three hotels, had been completely
destroyed, causing a loss estimated at
81, $780, 900.
One fireman was hurt by falling walls.
Firebrands fell in a perfect storm over
the business portion of the city and on
every building were stationed COM
panies of men with fire-fighting appara-
tus and a general con1agration was
prevented.
In the A. Kiefer Drug company's
ware rooms, where many barrels of
oil and other explosives were stored,
and in the Delmetsch company's whole
sale warehouses, where stock of
fireworks were located, several serious
explosions occurred.
The west wall of the Fahnley & Nc
Crea millinery house. which faced on
Jackson place, across from the union
station, fell within thirty minutes after
the fire started.
One fireman sustained a broken leg,
and in the rush to escape from their
perilous position near the falling walls,
hundreds of spectators who thronged
the space of the Union Depot square
narrowly escaped death or serious in
jury.
Loss over Million
The first intima ton of the fire was
received when Watchman saw the
windows on the second and third floors
of the east front of Fahnley & Nc
Crea's building burst open, allowing
sheets of flame to escape into Meridian
street.
A general alarm was turned in, fol-
lowed by two others in rapid success
sion, and by the time the first company
reached the scene the millinery house
was almost completely destroyed and
the fire had spread to the Kiefer Drug
company's building.
The occupants of the st. Nicholas
hotel, many of whom had not retired.
escaped without injury.
Repeated explosions in the burning
section sent skyward veritable storm
of burning embers into the retail dis
trict, where they fell, still burning,
upon the roofs of the principal busi-
ness houses
When the wall collapsed in the alley
without damaging the building occu-
pied by Thompson q Co, the flames
were apparently brought under control.
A spark from the fire in the wholesale
district, several blocks away, set fire
to the roof of the Grand hotel. Am
alarm again summoned all available
departments. All of the guests weIe
aroused and because of damage by
water were compelled to seek other
lodgings.
The principal losers, as estimated by
prominent insurance man, are:
Fahnley & McCrea building, S125.-
600; stock $780, 900. A. Keifer Drug
company, building. $4,000; stock, $225.
600. Grifiiths Bros. building $4,000:
stock, $150OOO E. G. Delmetsch COM
pany, building, $4,000; stock. $4,000.
Sherman house, building, $4,000; stock.
10000 Savoy hotel, $4,000; ST, Charles
hotel s22, 900. Total loss, Sl,1OO.OO0.
Grand hotels loss was small