The leader., 1905-02-25
SUNDAY EPIDEMIC
OF COSTLY FIRES
indianapolis Leads With a Loss Of
a Million and a Half.
THREE HOTELS ARE INCLUDED
The Rest Of the burned Buildings
Housed Large Wholesale Com
cerns-The Union station
Was Menaced.

Indianapolis. Ind, Feb. 2O.-For four
hours Sunday night 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 & McCrea Mil
linery Co.
At $3.50 o'clock three alarms brought
into action every fire company in the
city and suburbs. When the fire was
finally brought under control eight
buildings, among which were three
hotels, had been completely destroyed,
causing a loss estimated at $1,500,000.
One fireman was hurt by falling
walls.
Firebrands fell in 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 efforts
succeeded in preventing a general con-
fagration.
In the A. Kiefer Drug Co.'S ware
rooms, where many barrels of oils and
explosives were stored, and in the Del
metsch company's wholesale house,
where large stock of fireworks were
located, several serious explosions oc-
CURED.
The west wall Of the Fahnley & Nc
Crea millinery house, which faces on
Jackson place, across from the Union
station, fell within thirty minutes after
the fire started. One fireman sustained
a broken leg in the rush to escape from
perilous position near the falling
walls
Hundreds of spectators who thronged
the space in front of the Union station
narrowly escaped death or serious in
jury.
Within few minutes the east wall
fell across Meridian street, completely
blockading traffic, but no one was in
jured. The flames, which spread across
Louisiana street, were communicated
to the roof of the Union station train
sheds, and for several minutes the eff
forts of the firemen were conferred in
that direction.
The fire, which was one of the most
spectacular in the history of the city,
was under full Roadway before an
alarm was sounded. The first intima-
ton of fire was received when a
Waterman saw the windows on the sec
ond and third floors of the east front
of Fahnley & McCrea's building burst
open, allowing sheets of flame to es-
cape into Meridian street.
simultaneously the flames broke out
in Jackson place, which bounds the
Fahnley & McCrea building on the
west. Almost instantly the flames
were communicated to the st. Nicholas
hotel, and the Grifiths Brothers mil
linery house, in Jackson place, and the
Savoy hotel in Louisiana street.
The occupants of the hotel, many of
whom had not retired, escaped with
out injury.
Repeated explosions in the burning
section sent skyward veritable storm
of burning embers, which, famed by a
stiff breeze from the southeast, were
carried into the big retail district
where they fell still burning, upon the
roofs of the principal business houses.
Within As minutes several buildings
in the threatened district had been to-
tally destroyed, and the attention Of
the firemen was conferred in an effort
to prevent the spread of the flames to
the warerooms of w H. Thompson &
Co., manufacturers of surgical instru-
ments.